Lance Armstrong Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
Here is a look at cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Personal
Birth date: September 18, 1971
Birth place: Plano, Texas
Birth name: Lance Edward Gunderson
Father: Edward Gunderson
Mother: Linda (Mooneyham) Gunderson
Marriages: Anna Hansen (2022-present); Kristin (Richard) Armstrong (1998-2003, divorced)
Children: with Anna Hansen: Olivia Marie and Max; with Kristin Armstrong: Isabelle Rose, Grace Elizabeth and Luke
Other Facts
Armstrong was adopted as a young child by his mother’s second husband, Terry Armstrong.
Since its inception in 1997, the LIVESTRONG Foundation (formerly known as the Lance Armstrong Foundation) has served more than 2.5 million people affected by cancer.
Was once engaged to Grammy Award-winning singer Sheryl Crow. The couple broke up in 2006.
Timeline
1987 – At 16, Armstrong competes as a professional tri-athlete.
1989 – While still in high school, Armstrong trains with US Olympic cycling developmental team and competes in the Junior World Championships in Moscow.
1989 – Is named to the US National Cycling Team.
1991 – US National Amateur Champion.
1992 – Armstrong competes in the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, and finishes 14th. He turns pro immediately after the Olympics and finishes last in his first race.
1993 – Wins 10 titles, including the World Champion and US PRO Champion. Wins a stage at the Tour de France but cannot complete the race.
1993 – Wins the Thrift Drug Triple Crown.
1995 – Armstrong wins a stage at the Tour de France. He finishes 36th, the first time he finishes the race.
1996 – Drops out of the Tour de France after being diagnosed with bronchitis; finishes 12th in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and signs with France’s Team Cofidis.
October 2, 1996 – Is diagnosed with testicular cancer. The cancer had spread to his lungs, lymph nodes, abdomen and brain; undergoes surgery the next day to have the malignant testicle removed.
October 24, 1996 – Undergoes surgery to remove two cancerous lesions from his brain.
December 1996 – Doctors tell Armstrong he is cancer-free.
1997 – Establishes the Lance Armstrong Foundation to benefit cancer research and cancer patients.
1999 – Wins his first Tour de France, riding with the US Postal Team.
2000 – Wins the Tour de France for a second consecutive year and two months later wins the bronze medal at the Sydney Olympic Games.
2000 – “It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life” is published.
2001 – Wins the Tour de France for the third time.
2002 – Wins his fourth consecutive Tour de France.
2002 – A 21-month investigation into whether the US Postal Team used performance enhancing drugs during the 2000 Tour de France closes after finding no evidence of illegal drug use.
July 27, 2003 – Armstrong wins his fifth consecutive Tour de France by 61 seconds.
June 15, 2004 – Announces he is suing David Walsh, co-author of a book accusing him of taking performance-enhancing drugs.
June 21, 2004 – A Paris court throws out a request by Armstrong for an emergency ruling ordering the publishers of a book detailing suggestions of doping to insert a denial by Armstrong.
July 25, 2004 – Wins his sixth consecutive Tour de France.
April 18, 2005 – Announces that he will retire after competing in the 2005 Tour de France.
July 24, 2005 – Wins his seventh Tour de France.
December 14, 2005 – Armstrong is indicted in an Italian court and is ordered to stand trial for defaming cyclist Filippo Simeoni. Charges are dropped in April 2006.
May 31, 2006 – A report from the International Cycling Union is released that clears Armstrong’s name of 1999 doping allegations.
September 9, 2008 – Announces his return to professional cycling.
March 24, 2009 – Falls, along with 15-20 other riders, during a race in Spain and breaks his collarbone.
July 26, 2009 – Comes in third place in the Tour de France.
May 20, 2010 – Crashes during the Amgen Tour of California and is taken to a hospital. The same day he denies allegations of doping made by former teammate Floyd Landis.
July 21, 2010 – Hires a defense lawyer to represent him in a federal investigation into allegations of fraud and doping.
July 25, 2010 – Finishes in 23rd place at his final Tour de France.
February 16, 2011 – Announces his retirement from the world of professional cycling, saying he wants to devote more time to his family and the fight against cancer.
February 3, 2012 – Justice Department prosecutors announce they are closing a criminal probe of Armstrong without filing charges he used performance enhancing drugs.
June 12, 2012 – The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) notifies Armstrong of an investigation into new doping charges. In response, Armstrong says that the USADA intends to “dredge up discredited” doping allegations against him in a bid to strip him of his Tour de France victories.
June 29, 2012 – The USADA announces that it has filed doping charges against Armstrong. Armstrong’s attorney calls the decision to charge “wrong” and “baseless.”
July 9, 2012 – Armstrong files a federal lawsuit in Texas to halt the doping case against him. US District Judge Sam Sparks dismisses Armstrong’s lawsuit. In a sharply-worded ruling, the judge states Armstrong’s complaint is full of legally irrelevant claims. The judge urges Armstrong to re-file without “any improper argument, rhetoric, or irrelevant material.”
July 10, 2012 – Armstrong refiles the lawsuit. The complaint is substantially shorter than the original and Armstrong again asks the court to file an injunction against the USADA.
August 20, 2012 – A federal judge dismisses Armstrong’s lawsuit against the USADA.
August 24, 2012 – Declares he will no longer fight charges of illegal doping. Shortly after Armstrong’s announcement, the USADA says they will strip him of his seven Tour de France titles and impose a lifetime ban on him.
October 10, 2012 – The USADA’s report on Armstrong is released. The report places Armstrong at the center of a doping program during his time in cycling. Also in the report, former teammates admit to doping and ways of beating the drug-testing.
October 17, 2012 – Armstrong announces he is stepping down as chairman of LIVESTRONG.
October 17, 2012 – Nike terminates its contract with Armstrong. Anheuser-Busch also announces it will not renew its contract with him after it expires in 2012.
October 22, 2012 – The International Cycling Union announces that Armstrong is being stripped of his Tour de France titles and is being banned from professional cycling for life. Armstrong is also asked to return all prize money from his seven annulled Tour de France victories by the sport’s governing body.
October 22, 2012 – Oakley announces it is severing ties with Armstrong but will continue to support the LIVESTRONG Foundation.
November 12, 2012 – Armstrong resigns from his position on the LIVESTRONG Foundation board.
November 14, 2012 – The Lance Armstrong Foundation announces it has formally dropped Armstrong’s name from its title. It will now be the LIVESTRONG Foundation.
January 17, 2013 – The International Olympic Committee strips Armstrong of the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
January 17, 2013 – In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong admits to using banned performance-enhancing drugs during his cycling career.
February 22, 2013 – The US Department of Justice announces it has joined the whistleblower lawsuit against Armstrong that was originally filed by former teammate Landis.
April 23, 2013 – The Justice Department files a lawsuit against Armstrong and his company Tailwind Sports for millions of dollars that the US Postal Service spent to sponsor the cycling team. The complaint charges that the use of prohibited drugs constitutes a breach of contract.
September 12, 2013 – Armstrong tweets that he has turned over his Olympic bronze medal, won at the 2000 Sydney Games, to the US Olympic Committee.
December 28, 2014 – Armstrong’s longtime girlfriend, Anna Hansen, takes the blame when the SUV they were driving hits two parked cars in Aspen, Colorado.
December 31, 2014 – Hansen admits to police that Armstrong was driving when the couple’s SUV struck the parked cars. Hansen apologizes for lying to police and states that they wanted to avoid publicity of the accident.
January 29, 2015 – The BBC airs an in-depth interview with Armstrong about his history and his future. He states that if he were racing in 1995 “when doping was completely pervasive, I would probably do it again.”
July 16, 2015 – Despite being unwelcome, Armstrong makes his return to the Tour de France to take part in a charity ride one day prior to the official start of the competition.
June 20, 2016 – Starts a podcast, The Forward, in which he interviews people from “politics, entertainment, art, business, sport and more.” The first guest is Tim League, CEO and founder of the Alamo Drafthouse.
2017 – Starts a podcast, The Move, focused on coverage of the Tour de France.
April 19, 2018 – The US Department of Justice announces Armstrong has agreed to pay the United States $5 million to settle a lawsuit against him. The government accused Armstrong of fraud in 2013 after he admitted using performance-enhancing drugs while the US Postal Service was paying millions to sponsor his team.
May 24, 2020 – Part one of ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary, “Lance,” airs. The two-part documentary recounts one of the biggest doping scandals in the sport’s history.
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