Lance Armstrong – From Hero to Zero

Lance Armstrong won seven consecutive times Tour De France from 1999-2005. He survived cancer. He was a legend. He was an example for the patients. But he lost all the fame, respect and love when he admitted that he used drugs.

The world governing body of cycling, the Union Cycliste Internationale(UCI) approved the decision of United States Anti-Doping Agency(USADA) and confirmed both the ban for lifetime and removal of his titles for Tour De Swat as well as other cycling crowns. He was charity founder, cancer survivor and fundraiser of multimillion pound. This all was cheat. By overcoming cancer as well as having a record of 7 Tour De France’s, Lance Armstrong was assured that his name would be entered in the history books as a Hero. But being revealed as a cheat, Armstrong became hero to zero in the history books.

Now his reputation has been tarnished and also sponsors are withdrawn that gave him support with massive wealth. The cycling hero who was very popular all over the world, now have declared as non-grata person in the sport.

The USADA stated that they have overwhelming evidence about Lance Armstrong who had involvement in the most professionalized, sophisticated, and winning doping program as a professional cyclist. Armstrong upheld his innocence persistently by using performance enhancing drugs.

The French Cycling Federation has demanded Armstrong to return the money of about 4 million dollars that he had received for winning the tours as prizes. Whereas the company of Texas insurance have also demanded about 12 million dollars which is total amount paid to Lance Armstrong like 3 million dollars in 2003, bonus of 5 million dollars in 2005 for winning in court battle and also attorney’s fee of 2.5 million dollars. Now they want this total amount back.

His career was started in 1992 as a professional cyclist. Cancer was diagnosed in him in 1996 which was metastasized to his lungs and brain. His treatment contained brain as well as testicular surgery and wide chemotherapy. The successful achievements in cycling plus fight with cancer were grand victories of the Lance Armstrong era. Now this grand honor has gone.