| Professional bicyclist Lance Armstrong,was born on | | | | raised the team level. Armstrong is also a part of the |
| September 18, 1971, as Lance Edward Gunderson. He | | | | US Postal Service bicycling team. Although, |
| is one of the most amazing athletes ever born. At | | | | unfortunately his US postal service team members |
| the age of twelve years old, his career took off by | | | | were not a match to his caliber and frequently he |
| winning in an adult competition. He actually started off | | | | was isolated. He strengthened this team by making |
| as a tri-athlete. He was number 1 in 1987 and 1988 in | | | | sponsors and equipment suppliers work together. He |
| the Tri-Fred. He attained a status of professional | | | | did this by obtaining bicycle parts which at that time, |
| tri-athlete. Then in 1989 and 1990 he won the | | | | were being designed by different companies. Since |
| triathlon championship. He finished the race at the | | | | they were separate companies, they never |
| fourteenth position in the 1992 Summer Olympics. At | | | | interacted with one another. Armstrong with able to |
| the World Road Race, he became the youngest rider | | | | get the sponsors and the bicycle part suppliers to |
| to win the championship. | | | | work together so they could take complete benefit |
| In 1999, Lance Armstrong went on to win the | | | | of all the resources available. Lance Armstrong made |
| highest prestigious race, Tour de France and | | | | such an impact that still today, there are many |
| subsequently went on to earn it 7 years in a row, | | | | companies in the cycling circuit that have followed |
| from 1999 to 2005 which broke the prior record set | | | | this method. |
| by Miguel Indurian, who won the race 5 times in a | | | | Lance Armstrong has also had more than his fair |
| row.More of his incredible accomplishments include | | | | share of life's troubles. In 1996, He underwent brain |
| ABC television network who titled him the Wide | | | | and testicular surgery. Testicular cancer was |
| World Sports Athlete of the Year back in 1999. In | | | | detected in the 3rd stage and the cancer had spread |
| 2002, he was named the Wide World Sports Athlete | | | | to his brain, lungs and his abdomen. His chances of |
| by Sports Illustrated magazine. For four sequential | | | | survival were only at 3 percent. Due to the incredibly |
| years, from 2002-2005 he was named Associated | | | | low survival rate, he opted for a dangerous, very |
| Press Male Athlete of the Year. In 2003, the BBC, | | | | aggressive chemotherapy treatment so he could |
| gave him the Sports Personality award of the Year | | | | resume his career. His incredibly courageous recovery |
| recognised as the Overseas Personality Award. | | | | and his astonishing success motivated him to set the |
| Lance Armstrong has backed his victories by | | | | foundation for his charity, The Lance Armstrong |
| revealing that he had trained for several months in | | | | Foundation, established in 1997. He went back to |
| Spain. He was able to win the Tour de France seven | | | | bicycling after just three years of recovering from |
| times consecutively because all his focus was | | | | cancer and won, the first of seven, Tour de France |
| focused purely on the Tour de France and he would | | | | titles by triumphing over Alex Zulle by seven minutes |
| not be involved in any other competition, which gave | | | | and 37 seconds. Amazing. |
| him the chance to train for 180 days at a stretch. In | | | | There have actually been people over the years, |
| that period former cyclist Chris Carmichael, who was | | | | who have doubted his achievements and say that |
| also his coach, trained him. | | | | Armstrong took performance-enhancing drugs to win |
| Armstrong explained he was able to maintain higher | | | | in certain instances. None of these allegations could |
| peddle rotation in a lower gear in comparison with | | | | ever be verified. There has in no way been any |
| previous champions who utilized a high gear and brute | | | | evidence brought forth to date. Did you know Lance |
| strength. High cadence, or pedal rotation, leads to | | | | Armstrong has even appeared in the movies? You |
| less leg muscles stress in comparison to lower | | | | might have seen him in the movie Dodgeball, or |
| cadence, which in turn leads to extreme leg muscle | | | | maybe in 2004 the movie called A True Underdog |
| contractions. He also had a unusually high aerobic | | | | Story, or maybe You, Me and Dupree, released in |
| threshold. His substantial pedaling rotation, or cadence | | | | 2006. Lance Armstrong took his retirement at the |
| was attributed to his low lactate level, which was his | | | | closing of the 2005 Tour de France racing event, on |
| most unusual quality. | | | | July 24, 2005. After retiring, he has been |
| Though Armstrong's team was not that strong initially | | | | concentrating on his charity foundation and has taken |
| in the Tour de France, the later wins he achieved, | | | | part in many marathons. |