Lance Armstrong: From Hero to Zero - The True Story

Lance Armstrong a name synonymous with cycling and one of the most controversial figures in all of sport he rose to Fame in the late 90s and early 2000s winning a record seven consecutive Tour de France titles but his legacy was forever tainted by allegations of doping this is the story of Armstrong's rise to fame and fall from grace Lance Armstrong born in 1971 in Richardson Texas began his athletic career as a promising triathlete however as a teenager he made the decision to shift his Focus to cycling this decision proved to be a wise one as he quickly established himself as a formidable competitor in the sport in 1992 at the age of 21 Armstrong term professional and signed with the Motorola team he quickly made a name for himself as a strong one-day Rider winning several stages in the Tour de Pont furthermore he achieved the impressive feat of winning the 1993 World Championship road race in Oslo at just 21 years of age Lance Armstrong's victory in the world championships was a significant achievement and serves as a precursor to his future success in the sport this first major win was a significant milestone for him as he defeated some of the most accomplished Riders of this time including nickel and dorane the honorees and yuhan misu prior to this Victory Armstrong had already established himself as a top one day Rider but this win confirmed his exceptional ability and potential in the following years he continued to excel in one day races however as he reaches mid-20s he was dealt a devastating blow when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer I was diagnosed with testicular cancer revealed that my condition has spread into my admin for now I must focus on my treatment however I want all of you to know that I intend to beat this disease this unexpected diagnosis forced him to retire from the sport and the cancer had spread to his lungs and brain doctors gave him only a 50 50 chance of survival despite the overwhelming odds against him Lance Armstrong fought back from his cancer diagnosis and returned to professional cycling with confidence only a year after beginning treatment this demonstrated his remarkable character and determination as well as his ability to overcome adversity his return in 1998 was nothing short of remarkable as he finished fourth in his first Grand Tour back Armstrong seemed stronger than ever displaying a level of climbing ability that not been seen from him previously he approached racing with A New Perspective a newfound appreciation for life and an unwavering determination to succeed but was it too good to be true if you're enjoying this video it would mean the world to us if you'd subscribe it only takes a second and it helps us out a lot thank you now back to Lance in 1999 Armstrong made his comeback to the Tour de France riding for a brand new team called U.S postal the team was built and managed by Johann Brunel a former Rider who even competed against Armstrong prior to his cancer diagnosis Brunell Had A New Perspective on how teams should be run and it proved to be a perfect fit for Armstrong although Armstrong was not considered a favorite for the race a scandal the previous year known as the Festina Scandal led to many top Riders being banned from the competition this presented an opportunity for U.S postal and Armstrong to show the talent to the world at the tour the combat of Armstrong in the Tour de France began with a short prologue which is typically seen as a formality to establish the placings for all riders in the tour however Armstrong came out with a bang surprising Everyone by beating all top Riders by seconds this was a significant shock to the cycling community and it immediately put U.S postal on the map for the first time Armstrong found himself wearing the coveted yellow Jersey when Armstrong took the lead in the Tour de France many experts and critics were skeptical that he'd be able to maintain it when the first real mountains came along many believe that this fairy tale combat would come to an end however Armstrong proved them wrong this was just the beginning on the final Mountain to cestriere he demonstrated his dominance but easily dropping every competitor making them look like amateurs this performance silenced his critics and marked a turning point in the race however allegations of doping started to arise and many Skeptics began to question the legitimacy of his comeback story and I was in the pressroom that day and lots of people were looking and saying wow Lance has blooming strong and some other people were looking and saying come on get real that isn't real it's a joke now they're asking us to believe this it's a joke Armstrong's victory in the 1999 Tour de France was a moment of celebration for many around the world who were inspired by his story his team and his newly established Livestrong brand which helped cancer patients all around the world he was a great role model and it was a pleasure to see him succeed however as his fan base grew so did the number of Skeptics Armstrong's success was not only a result of his exceptional talent and determination also the result of the team he had built around him he created a Powerhouse in the cycling industry and every Tour de France provided new and exciting moments for fans to look forward to from the iconic look he gave Janel Rick up outduez to dropping pantani back in 2000 to riding through a field after boloki crashed going downhill he was an Entertainer at the highest level what a great bike rider he's gone across this is unbelievable I've never seen this before Armstrong went across the field there he's back on the road at four kilometers to go what great reflexes from the man from Texas Tyler Hamilton coming along there touching him on the shoulder this is unbelievable that man was in complete troll there watch this again this is yoshiba Milwaukee locking up the back wheel his tire has come off Armstrong has gone across this is unbelievable Armstrong riding across the Apex oh this is incredible he not only made himself more famous but also brought Global attention to the sport particularly in the United States he was also at the peak of his career his sponsorships with Nike Oakley and Trek Bicycle showcased his success and fame furthermore his relationship with famous singer Sheryl Crow added to his rock star lifestyle his U.S postal team dominated the tour until 2004 when he switched over to team discovery which was started by Brunell when U.S postal disbanded he made other Riders into real tour Legends such as George hinkapee Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton the latter two who would leave the team and become competitors in the later tours Armstrong was in the pond during this period and he was considered the best cyclist in the world he won a total of seven Tour de France titles in a row a record which unofficially still stands as Armstrong Korea progressed suspicions of dopam began to mount his exceptional performances in the Tour de France raised questions about their authenticity despite Armstrong and his team denials the allegations persisted Armstrong argued that he'd never tested positive for banned substances which was true at the time in 2011 Armstrong retired from professional cycling at the age of 39. after making a comeback in 2008 in his comeback he managed to achieve an impressive third place in the Tour de France in 2009 demonstrating his continued skill and ability however his comeback was not without controversy as some former teammates from the U.S postal team were not allowed to ride for his team Astana due to previous doping violations these issues continued to simmer and came to a head only a year after his retirement in 2012 the United States anti-doping agency accused Armstrong of using banned substances throughout his career they had a wealth of evidence against him including witness testimony and blood tests all of his former competitors had been caught for doping in the years after 2005. except Lance which made them an easy target as his story to many was unbelievable to begin with his former teammates had started turning his backs on him including Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis the latter who won the Tour de France in 2006 but got stripped due to a positive doping test just after the tour Floyd who wasn't as good with arguing and wasn't as powerful never had the chance to beat the allegations this never went down well with Floyd in 2010 he made some serious allegations against lands which usada started to investigate did you see Lance Armstrong using other performance enhancing drugs at times yeah different training camps like what well there's not a whole lot like I said that helps with their CPO you can use and you can use small amounts during the Tour de France if you need to monitor certain parameters that are better tested for I saw Lance Armstrong using drugs Armstrong ignored delegations until mid-2012 what he couldn't deny the evidence anymore he was given the opportunity to contest the charges but eventually he didn't choose to and as a result UCI immediately stripped him of all his Tour de France titles and banned him from the sport for life in September of 2012. Lance Armstrong has no case UCI will also recognize the sanctions imposed upon the writers who testified against Scott's Armstrong UCI indeed thanks them for telling their stories but he had still not confessed publicly to the people but he was about to do that in early 2013. in 2013 Armstrong was compelled to confess to doping in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in the highly publicized interview he admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs such as EPO blood doping human growth hormone and testosterone it did not even feel wrong scary did you feel bad about it no even scarier a revelation that came as a surprise to many but was not unexpected by some of his former teammates such as Hamilton Landes and Frank Andrew who had previously heard him admitting to using drugs in a hospital in 1996. Armstrong famously stated I didn't live a lot of lies but I lived one big One the Fall From Grace was now complete people around the world started to hate lands the Skeptics got their answers but as fans who supported him through the years felt betrayed Armstrong had now lost everything his titles his sponsors and his reputation he'd gone from being a hero to a villain in a space of a few months the impact of Armstrong's fall was felt throughout the psyching World erased questions about the culture of doping in the sport and led to a push with stricter anti-doping measures it also brought into question The credibility of Armstrong's previous victories and left a cloud of Suspicion over the sport for years to come Armstrong admitting to cheating had a significant impact on his finances as well he lost millions of dollars in sponsorship deals and had to pay out settlements to sponsors who were felt misled by his deception in addition he had to pay legal fees associated with the lawsuit brought against him one of his most significant losses was his sponsorship deal with Nike the company had been one of his biggest sponsors and had supported him throughout his career after his doping admission they decided to terminate the contract causing Armstrong to lose millions of dollars he also lost his sponsorship deals with other companies such as track bicycles and Oakley in addition to losing sponsorships Armstrong also had to pay settlements to SCA promotions a company that ensured the Tour de France bonuses and had to pay in 12 million dollars in bonuses he also settled a lawsuit with the U.S government for five million dollars after they joined a whistleblower lawsuit against him despite these Financial setbacks Armstrong has managed to maintain a comfortable lifestyle he has a number of business ventures including a bike shop and a media company he also has a number of real estate properties and continues to make money from speaking engagements and book deals also has a net worth estimated to be around 50 million dollars Lance Armstrong's story is one of triumphant tragedy he overcame cancer to become one of the greatest Grand Tour cyclists of all time but his legacy will forever be tarnished by doping he will always be a true divider in the sporting World some people saying he deserves the Tour de France wins due to everyone doping at the time others saying what he did was cheating and he deserves every bit that came for him

Channel: True Sports Lore

Views: 198,586

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Id: UXd7MdXMpjo

Length: 14min 47sec (887 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 06 2023