Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Worldsport

Lance Armstrong's rise and fall

Updated 2055 GMT (0455 HKT) August 13, 2014
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After denying the allegations for years, cyclist Lance Armstrong admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. As a result, he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and an Olympic bronze medal. Click through the gallery for a look at his life and career. Lucas Jackson/Reuters/Landov/File
Armstrong, 17, competes in the Jeep Triathlon Grand Prix in 1988. He became a professional triathlete at age 16 and joined the U.S. National Cycling Team two years later. Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Armstrong wins the 18th stage of the Tour de France in 1995. He finished the race for the first time that year, ending in 36th place. PASCAL PAVANI/AFP/Getty Images
Armstrong rides at the Ikon Ride for the Roses to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation in May 1998. He established the foundation to benefit cancer research after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996. After treatment, he was declared cancer-free in February 1997. Jay G. Carraway/Liaison/Getty images
Armstrong leads his teammates during the final stage of the 1999 Tour de France. Doug Pensinger/Allsport/Getty Images
Armstrong takes his honor lap on the Champs-Élysées in Paris after winning the Tour de France for the first time in 1999. PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/Getty Images
After winning the 2000 Tour de France, Armstrong holds his son Luke on his shoulders. PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/Getty Images
Armstrong rides during the 18th stage of the 2001 Tour de France. He won the tour that year for the third consecutive time. JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images
Armstrong celebrates winning the 10th stage of the Tour de France in 2001. FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images
After winning the 2001 Tour de France, Armstrong presents President George W. Bush with a U.S. Postal Service yellow jersey and a replica of the bike he used to win the race. MIKE THEILER/AFP/Getty Images
Armstrong celebrates on the podium after winning the Tour de France by 61 seconds in 2003. JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images
Jay Leno interviews Armstrong on "The Tonight Show" in 2003. Kevin Winter/Getty Images
After his sixth consecutive Tour de France win, Armstrong attends a celebration in his honor in front of the Texas State Capitol in Austin. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Armstrong arrives at the 2005 American Music Awards in Los Angeles with then-fiancee Sheryl Crow. The couple never made it down the aisle, splitting up the following year. Vince Bucci/Getty Images
Armstrong holds up a paper displaying the number seven at the start of the Tour de France in 2005. He went on to win his seventh consecutive Tour de France. JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images
Armstrong testifies during a Senate hearing in 2008 on Capitol Hill. The hearing focused on finding a cure for cancer in the 21st century. Alex Wong/Getty Images
In 2009, Armstrong suffered a broken collarbone after falling during a race in Spain. stringer/AFP/Getty Images
Young Armstrong fans write messages on the ground ahead of the 2009 Tour de France. He came in third place that year. LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images
Armstrong launches the three-day Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in 2009 in Dublin, Ireland. The event was organized by his foundation. PETER MUHLY/AFP/Getty Images
In May 2010, Armstrong crashes during the Amgen Tour of California. That same day, he denied allegations of doping made by former teammate Floyd Landis. Courtesy Teresa DeLeon
Armstrong looks back as he rides during the 2010 Tour de France. LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images
Armstrong's son Luke; his twin daughters, Isabelle and Grace; and his 1-year-old son, Max, stand outside the Radio Shack team bus on a rest day during the 2010 Tour de France. NATHALIE MAGNIEZ/AFP/Getty Images
Armstrong finished 23rd in the 2010 Tour de France. He announced his retirement from the world of professional cycling in February 2011. He said he wanted to devote more time to his family and the fight against cancer. LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images
The frame of Armstrong's bike is engraved with the names of his four children at the time and the Spanish word for five, "cinco." His fifth child, Olivia, was born in October 2010. JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images
Armstrong competes in the 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in Panama City, Florida, in February 2012. He went on to claim two Half Ironman triathlon titles by June of that year. MAURICIO VALENZUELA/Xinhua /Landov
Armstrong addresses participants at the Livestrong Challenge Ride on October 21, 2012, days after he stepped down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer charity. Tom Pennington/Getty Images
International Cycling Union President Pat McQuaid announces the decision to strip Armstrong of his seven Tour de France wins and ban him from the tournament for life on October 22, 2012. "Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling," he said. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images
In January 2013, Armstrong speaks with Oprah Winfrey about the controversy surrounding his cycling career. He admitted, unequivocally and for the first time, that he used performance-enhancing drugs while competing. George Burns/Oprah Winfrey Network/Getty Images