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Lance Armstrong: Races
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Lance Armstrong’s sporting career began in Plano, Texas, where his mother Linda supported his competitive urges from the beginning. He displayed a gift early on when he won the Iron Kids Triathlon at 13 and became a professional when he was only 16 years old. At the near-cost of his high school diploma, he trained with the U.S. Olympic cycling developmental team in Colorado Springs, Colorado, during his senior year. That sealed his destiny and Lance embarked on a career as a bike racer.
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In 1998 Lance returned to the cycling circuit, first completing the Ruta del Sol quite respectfully, and then he entered Paris-Nice. it was soon clear that Lance was not having a good day on the bike, and in the cold and pouring rain he simply pulled over and was done. Done with the race, the training, the sport - finished as far as he was concerned. He'd given it a shot, did his best and apparently it just wasn't good enough. He returned home to Austin to figure out what he wanted to do now in life - and then along came Chris Carmichael, Bob Roll, and the town of Boone, North Carolina. Chris and Bob not only were close friends of Lance's, Chris was his coach and Bob a former teammate from the Motorola days.
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After fitting in high school graduation, between a trip to the Junior World Championships in Moscow and signing with the Subaru-Montgomery pro/amateur racing team, Lance began meeting the racing world's expectations. After winning the U.S. Amateur Championships, Motorola, the top U.S. cycling team, enlisted him into the world of international cycling. The Texan soon established himself in professional racing, pulling Motorola to a No. 5 ranking in 1993. Lance was not only winning races, but he was winning with an aggressive, fearless style that solidified his reputation as a confident, brash young racer who proved himself on the race course every day. The next three years saw Lance become a true force in international cycling, as well as the top U.S. racer.
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Armstrong was born in Plano, Texas, and was raised primarily by his mother. A standout athlete, he was competing in and winning triathlons (races where participants must run, swim, and bicycle) by the age of 13. In high school Armstrong began to focus on cycling, and in 1990 he was invited to try out for the United States national team. With little formal coaching he finished 11th at the 1990 World Amateur Cycling Championships in Japan. One of the top amateurs in the world, Armstrong was one of the favorites in the road-race event at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. He finished a disappointing 14th... and decided to turn professional.
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At age sixteen, Armstrong became a professional triathlete. He became the national rookie of the year in spring triathlons, and both he and his mother realized that he had a serious future. Soon it became clear that he would become a cyclist. He began training with more experienced riders and was beginning to make money in races. He began traveling farther to races that were more prestigious. During his senior year in high school, he qualified to train with the U.S. Olympic team in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and to travel to Moscow, Russia, to ride in his first international race.
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Not wanting to leave any doubts as to what he was capable of, Lance won the opening Prologue Time Trial in convincing fashion. Knowing that defending the yellow jersey this early in the race could sap the strength of his teammates too soon, they let the overall (GC) lead go for a while. But showing their race savvy, the team made sure they always stayed up at the front of the pack. This decision proved critical following a major crash on the slippery Passage du Gois causeway; a pile up that essentially removed 50% of the riders from GC contention, including some major Tour hopefuls. At the Stage 8 Time Trial, it was time once again for Lance to take matters into his own hands. Lance won the stage and retook ownership of the famed "Mailot Jaune", and he and his team would not release their grip all the way to Paris!
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