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Lance Armstrong 1971–, American cyclist, b. Dallas, Tex. He won (1991) the U.S. amateur cycling championship, turned professional (1992), and by the mid-1990s had won the Tour DuPont twice and was being hailed as the finest U.S. cyclist. In 1996, however, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which had spread extensively. Given a 50% chance of survival, he underwent surgery and chemotherapy. In one of the more impressive comebacks in sports history, he returned (1998) to cycling and reached the pinnacle of the sport with five consecutive victories (1999–2003) in the Tour de France, the sport's toughest and most prestigious race. He also won a bronze medal in the time trial at the 2000 Olympics.
See his memoir, It's Not about the Bike: My Journey Back to Life (2000).
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