Lance armstrong

Lance Armstrong (born Lance Edward Gunderson; September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road racing cyclist. Armstrong was known for his seven consecutive Tour de France wins from 1999 to 2005, but he was stripped of his titles in 2012 after a protracted doping scandal.

Early life

Armstrong was born in Plano, Texas, to Linda Gayle (née Mooneyham), a secretary, and Eddie Charles Gunderson, a route manager for The Dallas Morning News. He is of Scandinavian descent. He was named after Lance Rentzel, a Dallas Cowboys wide receiver. His parents divorced in 1973 when Lance was two. The next year, his mother married Terry Keith Armstrong, a wholesale salesman, who adopted Lance in 1974.

Career

Armstrong began his career as a professional cyclist with the Motorola team in 1992. He had a breakthrough in 1993, when he won the World Championship, the Clásica de San Sebastián and Tour DuPont, and he was the first American to win at the La Flèche Wallonne.

Armstrong's career was halted by testicular cancer in October 1996. After his recovery, he founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation (now the Livestrong Foundation) to assist other cancer survivors.

Returning to cycling in 1998, he was a member of the US Postal/Discovery team between 1998 and 2005, during which time he won his seven Tour de France titles. In 2005, Armstrong retired from professional cycling as one of the sport's most famous and respected figures.

Doping scandal

In June 2012, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) charged Armstrong with having used illicit performance-enhancing drugs, and in August they announced a lifetime ban from competition as well as the stripping of his seven Tour titles. In October 2012, Armstrong was officially stripped of his seven Tour titles and banned from professional cycling for life by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

Personal life

Armstrong has been married twice. He has five children.

See also

• Doping in sport
• History of Lance Armstrong doping allegations
• List of doping cases in cycling

External links

• Official website