Armstrong, Lance (1971- )

US cyclist, who won a record seven consecutive Tour de France titles. His first Tour victory in 1999 came just 18 months after returning to competition following a life-threatening battle against cancer. In 2004 he won his sixth consecutive Tour to break the record set by Miguel Indurain in 1995. On winning his seventh Tour in 2005, he retired from competition.

Career highlights

Tour de France

World Professional Road Race Championship

Olympic Games

Born in Plano, Texas, he showed early promise as a swimmer and triathlete, although when he left high school he was already a member of the US national cycling squad. He turned professional shortly after competing for the USA in the 1992 Olympic Games. In 1993, his first full season on the professional circuit, he gained his first stage victory in the Tour de France, and became only the second US cyclist after Greg LeMond to win the World Road Race title.

Diagnosed with testicular cancer in October 1996, and given less than a 50% chance of survival, he underwent chemotherapy and several operations before returning to racing early in 1998. In his 1998 comeback season he proved that he was still able to compete at the highest level, winning four races and achieving a top five finish in the Tour of Spain. His autobiography, It's Not About the Bike (2000), detailed his illness and subsequent recovery. He published a further memoir, Every Second Counts: From Recovery to Victory, in 2003.