| With his recent unprecedented seventh victory in the | | | | diagnosed with stage three nonseminomatous |
| Tour de France, Lance Armstrong is perhaps the | | | | testicular cancer, which, due to its' late diagnosis had |
| greatest cyclist ever. | | | | already spread to his abdomen, lungs, lymph nodes, |
| Early Years | | | | and later, even his brain. In hopes of saving his |
| Born Lance Edward Gunderson on September 18, | | | | career, Lance opted for a more dangerous |
| 1971, in Plano Texas, to Linda Gayle Mooneyham and | | | | chemotherapy treatment, and underwent surgery to |
| Eddie Charles Gunderson. Eddie disappeared when | | | | remove one of his testicles and the tumors on his |
| Lance was two, and Linda remarried Terry Keith | | | | brain. He was given about a %50 chance to survive. |
| Armstrong, whose last name Lance took. Lance did | | | | His doctor later told him, however, that the actual |
| not get along well with his stepfather, having not | | | | odds were closer to %3, and that Lance had been |
| seem him in several years, and has also expressed | | | | given the higher odds to help him keep his spirits up. |
| no desire to meet his biological father. | | | | In February 1997, he was declared cancer free, and |
| Lance was highly athletic from a very early age, as | | | | established the Lance Armstrong Foundation for |
| he began seriously running and swimming at age ten. | | | | cancer patients. in 1998 he returned to take fourth |
| By thirteen, he had begun competing in adult amateur | | | | place at the World Road Race Championship. The |
| triathlons. He became a professional thriathlete at | | | | same year, he married Kristin Richard, whom he had |
| sixteen, winning the national sprint-course triathlon | | | | met through his foundation. |
| championship the next year, and becoming the | | | | Tour de France Victories and Divorce |
| number one ranked triathlete in the nineteen and | | | | Competing in the Tour de France for the first time in |
| under age group. | | | | several years, Armstrong claimed his first victory in |
| Cycling Career | | | | the race, winning four of the twenty-one stages. He |
| Lance soon chose to focus on his favorite, and best, | | | | repeated in 2000, this time defeating two of his |
| event, cycling, and in 1990 he became the U.S. | | | | major rivals who had been absent from the last race, |
| national amateur champion. The next year, he | | | | Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani, with Ullrich taking |
| qualified for the U.S. Olympic cycling team, and | | | | second place. In this year he also suffered system |
| finished fourteenth overall at the 1992 Summer | | | | shock from a car accident, but recovered in time for |
| Olympiad in Barcelona. | | | | the 2000 Olympics, in Sydney in which he earned a |
| The next year, Lance turned professional, joining | | | | bronze medal. |
| team Motorola and finishing the year ranked first in | | | | In 2001 and 2002, Ullrich again took second place to |
| the world. His accomplishments that year included | | | | Armstrong in the Tour de France. He won again in |
| winning the eighth stage of his first Tour de France, | | | | 2003, but in that year filled for divorce with Kristin |
| becoming the youngest man to win the World Road | | | | Armstrong, with her citing the difficulties of caring for |
| Race Championship, and the first man to win the | | | | his cancer and the extensive traveling. Lance |
| "Triple Crown;" the Thrift Drug Classic, the Kmart | | | | continued his winning streak, however, claiming |
| West Virginia Classic, and the CoreStates USPRO | | | | victories in 2004 and 2005, bringing his total to seven |
| National Championship. His first Tour de France was | | | | before finally retiring. He currently hold the record for |
| disappointing, however; despite his eighth leg, victory, | | | | most victories by any individual. |
| he soon fell behind, and eventually pulled out of the | | | | Current |
| race. | | | | Armstrong is currently devoting his time to his charity |
| Cancer and Recovery | | | | foundation, while still competing in various cycling and |
| In 1995, Lance won his first Tour de Pont victory, a | | | | running events. From 2003 to 2006 he dated singer |
| race he had previously competed in twice. 1996 | | | | and songwriter Sheryl Crow. Lance currently resides |
| started as another successful year for him, in which | | | | in a home in Austin, Texas, where he also owns a |
| he repeated his victory at the Tour de Pont, this | | | | ranch. |
| time setting several race records, and once again | | | | Born: September 18, 1971 |
| qualified for the U.S. Olympic team, despite | | | | Died: -- |
| recovering from bronchitis. | | | | Famous For: Renowned cyclist and athlete, founder |
| On October 2, 1996, however, Armstrong was | | | | of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. |