Lance Armstrong

Beginnings: - Born: September 18, 1971 in Plano, Texas

Family: - raised by his mother Linda, a single parent
- in 1998 married Kristin Richard

Education: - graduated high school in Plano, Texas
- cycled professionally & finished high school with the help of a private tutor

Sport(s): - competed in swimming, running, and cycling
- won the Iron Kids Triathlon at 13
- became a professional triathlete when he was just 16 years old

Interests: - founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation
- helps people manage and survive cancer
- after recovering from cancer, enjoys his family and friends

Accomplishments: 1991 - he was the U.S. National Amateur Champion
1992 - Olympic games in Barcelona, where he finished 14th
1993 - World Champion and the U.S. Pro Champion
1995 - won the Tour Du Pont
1999 - won the Tour de France, setting a new speed record
2000 - again won the Tour de France
2000 - won the Bronze medal in the Australian Olympic Games

Interesting Facts: - 1996 was diagnosed with advanced cancer
- underwent three operations and aggressive chemotherapy
- 1997 was declared cancer free

Click here: To visit Lance Armstrong's Homepage.

Cycling - History and Present Day

In 1839 the Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick McMillan, devised a pedal and crank mechanism which gave the sport of cycling a real lift. Up to that time, bicycles were pushed along by foot which really limited any kind of racing possibilities. The 1880's brought the chain-and-gearing system which enabled a bike to travel much faster. From that time on, the sport of cycle-racing continued to evolve and gain public interest. Bicyclists and engineers continued to improve on the design of cycles, making them faster and easier to ride. By the late 19th century, cycle-racing became so popular that it was introduced as an event in the 1896 Olympics. It was not until 1984 that women cyclists began to compete in the Olympics.

The 2000 Sydney Olympics consisted of eighteen cycling events. Eleven were for men and seven were for women. The different cycling events involved different bikes, as well as completely different challenges. The Veledrome, an indoor facility consisting of an oval, banked, indoor track, was a site for competition. There was also a road race in the streets of Sydney. The men's road race was thirteen laps on a 11.1 mile course, while the women's race was seven laps around the same course. The time trials - an individual event that clocks how fast an athlete can cycle a given distance - utilizes a special aerodynamic bicycle. There were also track and mountain bike events. The newest Olympic cycling events are the keirin and madison. The keirin is from Japan and all the participants draft behind a motorcycle which pulls off the track right before the finish. The madison is named after Madison Square Garden and involves points and relays.

To learn more about Olympic cycling and other sports, click here.

Country the Athlete Represented

United States of America
Lance Armstrong represented the United States in the Olympic games at Barcelona in 1992, and again in Sydney in 2000. The United States is located in the northern hemisphere on the continent of North America. It neighbors Canada to its north and Mexico to its south. The U. S. is a federal republic and is the third largest country in the world. The population of the United States is approximately two hundred and seventy-five million people. Like most of the world, the United States has become part of the global economy and has been greatly affected by modern technology.

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For information about the flag of the United States.

To view the flag of Lance Armstrong's home state of Texas.

For more information about Lance Armstrong's hometown: Plano, Texas.