Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong

Five years ago, if someone had approached a Hollywood film studio with a story about a young man who conquered cancer, then went on to win the world’s most grueling athletic event 5 years consecutively, that screen writer would have been laughed out of town. Who could possibly believe such nonsense? It’s better to concentrate on more believable scenarios, like a supernatural evil that wants to take over Middle Earth using a ring that focuses evil’s power, or a young orphaned wizard who saves Hogwarts again and again.
About 13 or 14 years ago, a small fraternity knew that someone special was moving among them. While still a teenager, Lance Armstrong established dominance in what was then the obscure sport of triathlon. He began his triathlon career as a 13 year old and was competing as a pro by age 16. As an 18 year old, Lance was putting serious whuppin’s on some of the best in the world. Back then Michael Pigg was consistently the best in the world at international distance triathlon. In his last triathlon, Armstrong left Mike Pigg more than a minute and a half behind, a huge gap for that distance. On the winner’s podium that day, he then announced that he was leaving triathlon to become a full-time cyclist.
It turned out to be a good career move. But there was little evidence of that in his first pro race. In the 1992 Classico San Sebastian, Armstong finished dead last, a full 27 minutes behind the pack. As he learned, a good cyclist will always outride a great triathlete. Armstrong would have to remake himself if he was going to compete in this new endeavor.
He recovered from his humiliating introduction to professional cycling to win a stage of the Tour de France just one year later. He would win another stage two years later. The next year after that, Lance Armstrong had it all. He had the number one ranking as the world’s best cyclist. He also had testicular cancer.
What happened next is well known. Given only a fifty percent chance of survival, Lance Armstrong deposited a few aliquotsof sperm in a tank of liquid nitrogen and surrendered his testicles to the surgeon’s knife. The doctors dug tumors out of his head and out of his legs. Those in his lungs they fought with chemotherapy and won.
Only two years after his diagnosis, Armstrong was racing professionally again. His old Cofidis Team dropped him like a bad habit when his cancer was discovered. This opened the door to history. The United States Postal Service was delighted to sign Armstrong and surround him with one of the strongest teams in history.
But, nobody could have predicted what would happen the next year. It’s almost inconceivable that any American could win the Tour. International cycling is like international soccer. Americans just don’t do it very well. Sure, Greg LeMond won three tours from 1986 through 1990. But, that was considered a monumental aberration. It would be like a French team winning the World Series. Americans simply did not win the Tour de France. In fact, Americans rarely even saddled up at the Tour. LeMond himself was only the second American to ever ride in the Tour.
Remarkably, LeMond’s last two wins occurred after a near fatal hunting accident. LeMond lost three-quarters of his blood supply in that shooting. Somehow, it would not be the American way to win easy.
Very few riders can even dream of winning the world’s most grueling endurance competition with a perfect body. To win after a near fatal shooting or a battle with cancer is inconceivable.
And yet, the inconceivable did happen. Lance Armstrong did indeed overcome seemingly impossible odds to win five consecutive Tours de France. And now he stands on the precipice of history. Including Armstrong, only five riders in history have won five Tours. Only one other rider, Miguel Indurain, has won five consecutive Tours. Many Europeans have suggested that Armstrong retire after five, sharing the record with Europeans. There were also people in this country who thought that Cal Ripkin should take a day off after equaling Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played.
Ripkin didn’t. Armstrong won’t. Americans don’t bow before barriers. We smash them.