Armstrong at the 2010 Tour de France

Personal information

Full name Lance Edward Armstrong

Nickname The Boss, Juan Pelota, Big Tex, The Texan,[1]

Mellow Johnny (from maillot jaunewhich is French for yellow jersey)[2]

Born September 18, 1971 (age 41)Plano, Texas, United States

Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)[3]

Weight 75 kg (165 lb)[3]

Lance Edward Armstrong (born Lance Edward Gunderson, September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road racing cyclist. Before being stripped of the titles, he was best known for winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times, from 1999 to 2005, after having testicular cancer. He had notable success between 1993 and 1996, including the 1993 World Championship, Clásica de San Sebastián in 1995, an overall victory in the penultimate Tour DuPont and a handful of stage victories in Europe, including the stage to Limoges in the Tour de France.

On October 2, 1996, then aged 25, Armstrong was diagnosed as having stage three (advanced) testicular cancer (embryonal carcinoma).[10] The cancer spread to his lungs, abdomen and brain. On his first visit to a urologist in Austin, Texas, for his cancer symptoms he was coughing up blood and had a large, painful testicular tumor. Immediate surgery and chemotherapy saved his life. Armstrong had an orchiectomy to remove his diseased testicle. After his surgery, his doctor said that he had less than a 40% survival chance.[11]

                                                                           

     Armstrong (center) on the set of College GameDay during the 2006 UT football season.

                                                                           

     

Armstrong riding for Astana on Stage 17 of the2009 Tour de France

                                                                           

     

Armstrong wearing the yellow jersey at the2005 Tour de France.

                                                                           

     

Armstrong riding the prologue of the 2004 Tour de France

                                                                           

     

Armstrong finishing third in Sète, taking over the Yellow Jersey at Grand Prix Midi Libre

                                                                  

     

President George W. Bush and Armstrong mountain biking at the president'sPrairie Chapel Ranch.