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The Official Tour De France: 1903-2004
The only guide to the Tour de France that's fully endorsed by the organizers of the race, the only one with unrestricted access to the archives, and the only one with a foreword by Lance Armstrong! It's much bigger and better than any of its competitors-but not more expensive. And it's updated to celebrate Armstrong's amazing record-shattering sixth victory.
"The writing is stylish and exuberant."--Publishers Weekly
"Beautiful....[a] definitive, year-by-year account [with] wonderful photographs."--Library Journal
For more than a century, the Tour de France has offered a spectacle filled with unparalleled passion, adventure, and sheer physical difficulty. Here is the definitive, official, and fully up-to-date record of that thrilling sporting phenomenon, produced in collaboration with L'Equipe, France's premier sports daily, and with a foreword by the six-time winner and international sports celebrity, Lance Armstrong. With access to the Tour de France's own archives, this huge, lushly photographed volume chronicles the race from its raw origins more than one hundred years ago to its current position as the world's greatest sporting challenge. Year by year, follow the grit and glory, victory and defeat, bravery and controversy, in the words of the players themselves.
"The writing is stylish and exuberant."--Publishers Weekly
"Beautiful....[a] definitive, year-by-year account [with] wonderful photographs."--Library Journal
For more than a century, the Tour de France has offered a spectacle filled with unparalleled passion, adventure, and sheer physical difficulty. Here is the definitive, official, and fully up-to-date record of that thrilling sporting phenomenon, produced in collaboration with L'Equipe, France's premier sports daily, and with a foreword by the six-time winner and international sports celebrity, Lance Armstrong. With access to the Tour de France's own archives, this huge, lushly photographed volume chronicles the race from its raw origins more than one hundred years ago to its current position as the world's greatest sporting challenge. Year by year, follow the grit and glory, victory and defeat, bravery and controversy, in the words of the players themselves.
359 pages, Paperback
First published June 17, 2003
About the author
Lance Armstrong
48 books135 followersLance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist. He achieved international fame for winning the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005, but was stripped of his titles after an investigation into doping allegations, called the Lance Armstrong doping case, found that Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs over his career. As a result, Armstrong is currently banned for life from all sanctioned bicycling events.
At age 16, Armstrong began competing as a triathlete and was a national sprint-course triathlon champion in 1989 and 1990. In 1992, he began his career as a professional cyclist with the Motorola team. Armstrong had success between 1993 and 1996 with the World Championship in 1993, the Clásica de San Sebastián in 1995, Tour DuPont in 1995 and 1996, and a handful of stage victories in Europe, including stage 8 of the 1993 Tour de France and stage 18 of the 1995 Tour de France. In 1996, he was diagnosed with a potentially fatal metastatic testicular cancer. After recovering, Armstrong founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation (now the Livestrong Foundation) to assist other cancer survivors.
Returning to cycling in 1998, Armstrong was a member of the US Postal/Discovery team between 1998 and 2005 when he won his seven Tour de France titles. Armstrong retired from racing at the end of the 2005 Tour de France, but returned to competitive cycling with the Astana team in January 2009, finishing third in the 2009 Tour de France later that year. Between 2010 and 2011, he raced with Team Radio Shack, and retired for a second time in 2011.
Armstrong became the subject of doping allegations after winning the 1999 Tour de France. For years, he denied involvement in doping. In 2012, a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) investigation concluded that Armstrong had used performance-enhancing drugs over the course of his career and named him as the ringleader of "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen." While maintaining his innocence, Armstrong chose not to contest the charges, citing the potential toll on his family. He received a lifetime ban from all sports that follow the World Anti-Doping Code, ending Armstrong's competitive cycling career. The International Cycling Union (UCI) upheld USADA's decision and decided that his stripped wins would not be allocated to other riders. In January 2013, Armstrong publicly admitted his involvement in doping. In April 2018, Armstrong settled a civil lawsuit with the United States Department of Justice and agreed to pay US$5 million to the U.S. government after whistleblower proceedings were commenced by Floyd Landis, a former team member.
At age 16, Armstrong began competing as a triathlete and was a national sprint-course triathlon champion in 1989 and 1990. In 1992, he began his career as a professional cyclist with the Motorola team. Armstrong had success between 1993 and 1996 with the World Championship in 1993, the Clásica de San Sebastián in 1995, Tour DuPont in 1995 and 1996, and a handful of stage victories in Europe, including stage 8 of the 1993 Tour de France and stage 18 of the 1995 Tour de France. In 1996, he was diagnosed with a potentially fatal metastatic testicular cancer. After recovering, Armstrong founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation (now the Livestrong Foundation) to assist other cancer survivors.
Returning to cycling in 1998, Armstrong was a member of the US Postal/Discovery team between 1998 and 2005 when he won his seven Tour de France titles. Armstrong retired from racing at the end of the 2005 Tour de France, but returned to competitive cycling with the Astana team in January 2009, finishing third in the 2009 Tour de France later that year. Between 2010 and 2011, he raced with Team Radio Shack, and retired for a second time in 2011.
Armstrong became the subject of doping allegations after winning the 1999 Tour de France. For years, he denied involvement in doping. In 2012, a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) investigation concluded that Armstrong had used performance-enhancing drugs over the course of his career and named him as the ringleader of "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen." While maintaining his innocence, Armstrong chose not to contest the charges, citing the potential toll on his family. He received a lifetime ban from all sports that follow the World Anti-Doping Code, ending Armstrong's competitive cycling career. The International Cycling Union (UCI) upheld USADA's decision and decided that his stripped wins would not be allocated to other riders. In January 2013, Armstrong publicly admitted his involvement in doping. In April 2018, Armstrong settled a civil lawsuit with the United States Department of Justice and agreed to pay US$5 million to the U.S. government after whistleblower proceedings were commenced by Floyd Landis, a former team member.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 10, 2023
This was a fun book. I did not read it word for word. I skimmed the text and enjoyed the photographs. Isn’t that what a person is supposed to do with a coffee table book?
Displaying 1 of 1 review