He became the face of professional cycling. He was accused by former team mate Floyd Landis of using performance-enhancing drugs. And he successfully beat and recovered from testicular cancer to win the prestigious Tour de France a record seven times. Now, only a month following his last race, Lance Armstrong has formally announced his retirement from cycling.
The 39-year-old Armstrong left cycling before, but made a comeback to the sport two years ago. Now he says he will be quitting for good to spend more time with his family and his charities.
“Today, I am announcing my retirement from professional cycling in order to devote myself full-time to my family, to the fight against cancer and to leading the foundation I established before I won my first Tour de France,” he said in a statement.
