Lance Armstrong: A Biography, career cyclist, fighting cancer, and photo books

Name Lance Armstrong heard, probably, everyone who is interested in bicycle races. This man is an American cyclist highways, as well as the only athlete who won the overall "Tour de France" seven times (1999 and 2005). Photos of Lance Armstrong delayed to come down from the covers of sports magazines. However, in 2012, his life was disqualified because of doping, the athlete stripped of all titles produced since 1998.

Sports career

His career started with Lance Armstrong cycling classic. In 1993 it was won the World Cup in the group race, and three years later the athlete testicular cancer was discovered. Although there were already metastases, cancer Lance Armstrong was able not only to cope but also to return to sports. Two years later, in 1998, he became a racer team US Postal. At this time, Lance Armstrong opens in new skills that are crucial for mountain riders: the ability to pedal at a high frequency to rise. As mentioned above, it is - the only athlete who took the Tour de France seven consecutive first prize. After the victory in 2005, Armstrong said about the end of a career.

Four years later, he decides to return to cycling, but does not achieve the same excellent results as in the past. In 2011, he again declares end of a career. It is believed that the athlete did it because the US investigation on its use of performance-enhancing drugs. In 2012, Armstrong still disqualified for doping. All his achievements since returning to the sport after the treatment of cancer (it was August 1, 1998) shall be canceled sporting community. The number of canceled victories came in and first place in the Tour de France, as well as a bronze Olympic medal in Sydney. One could write it on a biased attitude towards the athlete, but on January 17 next year, he told Oprah Winfrey in an interview that really used the doping during his career.

Biography

Birthplace of cyclist Lance Armstrong September 18, 1971 in Texas, near Dallas. The father left the family when the boy was still very small, so the mother raised him alone. However, the first sports Lance was not a bike and swimming. In twelve years, he became involved in triathlon, and 16 have already served as a professional athlete. In 1989 and 1990 he won the US title in a triathlon at a short distance.

Since the triathlon at the time was not included in the list of Olympic sports, the young Armstrong switched to cycling, because his desire was to participate in the Olympics. In 1991 he wins amateur championship, and on the fifteenth The Olympic Games held in Barcelona in 1992, it occupies the fourteenth place in the road race. However, a year later he gets the prestigious title by road cycling world. Lance became the youngest champion (at the time Armstrong was 22 years old).

In 1993 and 1995 wins at several stages of the Tour de France in the team, "Motorola". In 1996 it secured the title of "The driver number 1" in the United States. In the same year he became the leader of the Olympic team and sign the contract on good terms with Cofidis - French team. Armstrong's fee amounted to 2, 5 million dollars.

On the disease

The second in October 1996, Armstrong turned to the doctor. On examination it was found out that the poor state of health - a consequence of running testicular cancer. Metastases have spread to other organs: the abdomen, lungs and even the brain. Had little chance of survival, doctors evaluated them in 20%. Lance Armstrong beat cancer? First athlete appointed removal operation formations in the brain and removed one testicle. Tumors formed in the brain, were already dead cells, and perhaps this success and become one of the main stages of recovery. Then he was offered a new aggressive method himioteropii, which could result in serious side effects. However, the athlete was lucky again: the disease has receded, and Armstrong started life from scratch.

Contract

At that time, the cyclist Lance Armstrong was awarded a contract with Cofidis, which was the point of mandatory medical examination. Appealing to this point, Armstrong forced to accept the new conditions under which the company pays only a third of the amount stipulated in the original conditions. Moreover, the company has reserved the right to terminate the contract at the end of the year.

Armstrong, inspired by his victory over cancer, creates a fund to help cancer patients and promotes the fight against this disease by example - returns to the sport. Lance Armstrong's training become even more debilitating than before, but the athlete fails to return the form. He joins the ranks of a modest team the US Postal Service (U.S. Poatal Service). Neighbors helped him to resume his career, and soon he was back in the elite cycling. In the same year he takes the fourth place in the final supermnogodnevki "Vuelta" in Spain.

Book

In 2000 he published a book of Lance Armstrong "My return to life." Athlete wrote it in collaboration with Sally Jenkins. In the book he says that he would like to die like this: a hundred years by attaching to the back of an American flag and wearing a helmet with a Texas star, to move down from the slopes of the Alps at a speed of one hundred and twenty kilometers an hour. he writes in the first chapter that the slow death - not for him, as slowly it does nothing: eats quickly, quickly enough sleep and moves.

The book is Lance Armstrong says that the alleged premature death of the fact that it will knock some farmers during one of his biking, for bikers and truck drivers are constantly "fighting". He himself brought down countless times, so Armstrong learned to shoot himself joints with fortitude and nail scissors. Cancer Lance knocked down, as one of these trucks, and left terrible scars. In the book he tells how fought the cancer that has supported him and gave hope. Despite the doping scandal surrounding Armstrong's book is sure to please those who are looking for inspiration and motivation. Regardless of whether it is accepted or not doping, the athlete proved by example that it is possible not only to deal with a deadly disease, but to achieve an equally impressive than before in the new life results. Doping, of course, gives a certain advantage, but it does not turn into a mediocre athlete champion.

The second return of

Having won for the seventh time in the "Tour de France", Armstrong announced the end of a career. However, September 9, 2008, he again returned to the sport and acts in the Kazakh team "Astana" led by Johan Bruyneel. He planned to take part in many prestigious races, but the return of the sport is not got nothing in terms of money. At that time, not only the fans, but also the athletes wanted to be photographed with the bike Lance Armstrong (Trek Madone 6.9), and the mechanic "Astana" team sometimes allowed to make a few photos, as long as he finishes technical inspection.

Armstrong recorded a video message to fans, where his return has proved the desire to draw attention to cancer patients, who suffer not only from his serious illness, but also on social exclusion.

Life

First wife Kristin Richard was an athlete. She was an active member of the charity movement assistance to cancer patients and help him to fight the disease. From this marriage they had three children: twins Grace and Isabelle and son Luke-Louis David. In 2003, he divorced his wife, their marriage lasted five years. Two years athlete was in a relationship with Sheryl Crow - the singer, known in America. The case went to the marriage, in 2005, the couple announced their engagement, but the wedding did not take place.

He now lives with Anna Hansen, with whom he has two children: son Max and daughter Olivia Marie. Spouses are made in a civil marriage.

The doping scandal

For the first time Lance Armstrong was accused of doping in 1999, during a race in France ( "Tour de France"). In his sample should be corticosteroids, but the team, "US Postal Service" were found able to prove that the drug contained in the cream, which Armstrong was allowed to use.

However, in 2005, L'Equipe reported that Armstrong's samples in 1999, there were traces of erythropoietin. After that UCI conducted an investigation, which again showed that an athlete is innocent.

In 2011, Tyler Hamilton - a former partner of a cyclist on the US national team, was invited to the transfer of "60 Minutes" (CBS TV channel), where he spoke, he saw Armstrong take performance enhancing drugs. According to Hamilton, his colleague used the same drug that is used by all other riders - erythropoietin. Hamilton admits that not once noticed this medication in the refrigerator and colleagues have repeatedly caught him with doping.

New charges were filed June 14, 2012 by the American Anti-Doping Agency. The indictment was said about violation of a number of points of the anti-doping rules, which were revealed after an investigation of doping tests in 2009 and 2010, as well as on the testimony of fellow-riders. In addition, experts patterns were found in the changeover cycles biometric passports and driver of his competitions over the years. However, not only accused Armstrong. Another four of his former team-mate got the same charge, including their coach. Armstrong denied his guilt, trying to prove his innocence in court, however, he was removed from the upcoming cycling and triathlon competitions.

Failure to justify

August 23 the same year, cyclist statement was published on his official website, which reported on the refusal from further attempts to prove his innocence. A day later, the American Anti-Doping Agency announced that Lance Armstrong for life dikvalifitsiruetsya of sporting events. They recommended the International Cycling Union to deprive the rider of all results and awards since 1998 (with his return to the sport after an illness), including winning the "Tour de France". However, they do not hurry to deny driver regalia, and in a press release issued a statement that the first wait for a detailed explanation of the US Anti-Doping Agency. Organizers of the "Tour de France" refused to comment on the situation with the deprivation of the athlete seven champion titles.

Violation of the rules of

It is believed that the US Anti-Doping Agency has received numerous testimonies of riders, officials and doctors who one way or another in contact with Armstrong. Witnesses claim that the athlete is constantly used doping since 1998 Goa and ending with the year 2011. On the basis of this cyclist charged:

The use of an athlete banned substances, including blood transfusions and EPO (erythropoietin), corticosteroids, testosterone, masking agents.
Storage of prohibited substances named above, and storage related equipment for their use.
Distribution and sale of erythropoietin, corticosteroids, testosterone.
Manipulation of testosterone, cortisone, and erythropoietin.
Instigating, aiding, concealing, and another part in the anti-doping rule violation.

What happened?

After Lance Armstrong charged, there are quite a few events. Travis Tygart (head of the US Anti-Doping Agency) said that the punishment will be mitigated if the rider admitted his guilt, but Armstrong did not.

In October, the agency dvuhsotstranichny report, backed up by a thousand pages of material was published which discloses Armstrong and team members participate in various schemes on the use of doping. In the same month, we began to consider the question of deprivation of Armstrong's bronze medal for the Olympics in Sydney. It was removed from the post of chairman of the Livestrong Foundation, and at about the same time, cooperation with the athlete stopped companies such as Nike and Trek.

At the end of October 2012 the disqualification of the athlete has been officially confirmed, and Christian Prudhomme - the director of "Tour de France" - announced that the cyclist must return the prize, which received seven of their victories.

This story caused a great resonance in the entire community of athletes and fans. For example, one library in Australia has moved the book, the author of which was a cyclist ( "Program of performances L. Armstrong", "The image of a champion," "the greatest champions in the world"), from the memoirs of fiction section to section.

recognition

As mentioned above, in January 2013 cyclist confessed that really used the dope on a specially designed program. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey - the famous TV presenter - he said that he can not win, "Tour de France" seven times without any doping. Armstrong also said that the victory was very important to him, but we can not say that the anti-doping program was grander that used in East Germany 70 - 80-ies. Armstrong returned the medal. In 2014, he was deprived of the French Legion of Honor.