Retired cyclist Lance Armstrong was the holder of seven consecutive Tour de France titles before he was unceremoniously stripped of them due to his doping scandal
Lance Armstrong was once one of the world’s most famous athletes, having won seven consecutive Tour de France titles. But now, after a major doping scandal in 2012, the retired cyclist watches on from the sidelines as the new generation take on the sport’s gruelling challenge.
The Tour de France is set to conclude on Sunday, with a 132.2km trek through Mantes-la-Ville in Paris to finish the 21-stage event. Armstrong won this prestigious race seven years in a row, from 1999 to 2005. However, an investigation found that the American had been using performance-enhancing drugs over his successful career.
As a result, these wins were rendered null and void, and Armstrong was subsequently banned for life from all sanctioned bicycling events. The 53-year-old raced for Motorola, Astana Pro Team and Team RadioShack, and won a gold medal at the 1993 World Championships in the Elite Men’s Road Race.
Armstrong is well-known for his charity work, following his stage-three testicular cancer diagnosis in 1996 at the age of 25. After recovering from the disease, he set up the Lance Armstrong Foundation – which he is no longer associated with – aiming to support people affected by cancer.
The former cyclist joined many other high-profile sporting icons – including Muhammad Ali, Tony Hawk and Mia Hamm – to found Athletes for Hope. This charity helps professional athletes get involved in causes close to their hearts, through volunteer work and supporting the community.
So, what is Armstrong up to now? Here, Mirror Sport has delved into the once-iconic cyclist’s life, from his colossal net worth to his association with Sir Bradley Wiggins and what he is spending his time on now.
Impressive net worth
Across his career, Armstrong won multiple major races – including his now-stripped Tour de France titles – that included the Clasica de San Sebastian, Tour de Luxembourg and World Road Race Championships.
The ex-cyclist worked with a number of big brands during his racing days, including Nike, Trek, AMD and Oakley, with these endorsements only adding to his expanding fortune made from winning so often.
As of right now, Celebrity Net Worth estimates that Armstrong is worth an eye-watering £37.2million ($50m), which is a far cry off of his biggest fortunes. The same report states that at the peak of his career, Armstrong was worth an unbelievable £92.4m ($125m), which would have been even more impressive in terms of money at the time.
The ex-cyclist still earned plenty of money after his permanent retirement from competing in 2011 – before his doping allegations came to light – as he took part in public appearances, sponsorships with brands and speaking engagements.
Sir Bradley Wiggins association – ‘An inspiration’
Five-time Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins has previously called Armstrong an “inspiration”, as he revealed his battle with drug addiction after his retirement. Wiggins became the first Brit to win the Tour de France in 2012, in the same year that Armstrong’s doping accusations became apparent.
After a career spanning over a decade, with 14 gold medals and various other accolades, Wiggo retired in 2016 and subsequently fell into a cocaine addiction. Speaking to the Observer in May this year, the 45-year-old revealed he was “walking a tightrope” and that he had spiralled so bad that his “kids were going to put me in rehab.”
Since, Wiggins has credited the disgraced Armstrong as a great source of comfort and support throughout this period of his life, telling BBC Radio 5 Live that he is “indebted” to the ex-cyclist for his help.
He said: “He’s been a great strength to me and a great inspiration to me, and it’s on a human level. Lance has been very, very good to me. That’s not something everyone wants to hear because people only like to hear the bad stuff.
“You can only take someone how they treat you and Lance has been a source of inspiration to me and a constant source of help towards me and is one of the main factors why I’m in this position I am today mentally and physically, so, I’m indebted to him for that.”
Life now – Happy families and new ventures
Nowadays, Armstrong seems to have a more relaxed life in his retirement. He married yoga instructor Anna in a small ceremony in France in August 2022. The pair got engaged in 2017 after a decade of knowing one another, and they have two children together; Max and Olivia.
Armstrong also has three children from a previous relationship with Kristin Richard, whom he was married to for five years before they divorced in 2003. They have two daughters, Grace and Isabelle, and a son called Luke.
During the height of his fame, the 53-year-old dated a host of other famous faces, including Sheryl Crow, Kate Hudson and Tory Burch.
Most recently, Armstrong is focusing his time on his podcasting career, with two shows out focused on various topics. One is dedicated to iconic races and is called The Move, and his secondary podcast, The Forward, is centred more on interviewing various types of famous personalities.
While the veteran athlete can no longer take part in professional cycling, he still enjoys the sport at his leisure. Speaking on The Howard Stern Show in 2017, though, Armstrong admitted he loathed cycling due to the scandal, and he compared it to a relationship breaking down.
Armstrong said: “For three or four years, I hated cycling because of what my life has looked like for the last four or five years. Just like with any kind of breakup, there are hard feelings.”