Coming to life

Lance Armstrong became a name synonymous with Tour de France after the ace cyclist won seven consecutive titles, having survived life-threatening testicular cancer. His inspirational tale made him an instant hero but US anti-Doping Agency and UCI's decision to erase off all his Tour titles has marred his name. He finally admitted his seven Tour de France titles were fueled by an array of drugs, reversing years of denials in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey broadcast in January 2013. For some, Armstrong remains the same old motivational figure but for others, he's a fallen hero. We take a look at the Lance Armstrong timeline

Born as Lance Edward Gunderson on September 18, 1971 in Texas, Armstrong is an adopted son of Terry Keith Armstrong. Interestingly, Armstrong began his sporting career as a swimmer at the City of Plano Swim Club. Not only this, he also finished fourth in Texas state 1,500-meter freestyle.