Product Description

After his record-breaking 7th Tour win - accomplished after successfully battling the testicular cancer that very nearly killed him - Lance Armstrong spent three years in retirement. In September 2008 he announced his shock decision to return to professional cycling for an 8th Tour. Alongside 220 spectacular behind-the-scenes photographs, Lance will tell his inspiring story, moment-by-moment, in his own words. Determined to bring his cancer foundation's 'Livestrong' message to the world, his exceptional cycling in the 2009 Tour saw him placed third in the overall rankings. At 37 years of age, he is the oldest top-three finisher in over 30 years. His incredible journey to a podium placement will be charted through unpublished photographs by sports photographer Elizabeth Kruetz. As Lance's personal photographer, Kruetz has worked with him for ten years, and her pictures, along with his diary entries, make for a deeply personal window into his day-to-day world and his 2009 Tour battle. It will include his fight back from a broken collar bone, constant drugs tests, gruelling mountain climbs, his intense rivalry with teammate and 2009 Tour Winner Alberto Contador, and, of course, crossing that final finish line.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #177 in Books
• Published on: 2009-12-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

About the Author
Lance Armstrong is seven times winner of the Tour de France and fulltime cancer fighter. He oversees the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which assists cancer patients around the world. He won the first of his record-setting seven Tour de France wins after surviving a nearly fatal bout with testicular cancer. he lives in Austin, Texas.

Customer Reviews

High quality with stunning photographs
Don't make the mistake of thinking that this is a Lance Armstrong autobiography in the style of It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life and Every Second Counts. He writes a brief introduction, but essentially it is a pictorial diary of a year in the life of Lance Armstrong, from when he made the decision to return to professional cycling through to the Tour de France earlier this year. It's a busy year with lots of training (he gets noticeably thinner over the year); racing events in Australia, the US and Europe; a broken collarbone; a new baby and lots of fundraising and campaigning for cancer research.

The photographs are all taken by Elizabeth Kreutz and they are stunning - see the examples above. They are arranged in chronological order and each is accompanied by a little explanation from Lance about what he was doing or thinking at the time. The layout of the book and the paper stock are also high quality.

Reading this book feels like you've spent a year being a fly on the wall as Lance goes about his life. It's a fascinating glimpse into his world, from the high glamour (flying in private jets and hanging out with world leaders) to the mundane (running his kids to school and playing in the backyard with them - nice backyard by the way Lance). There's even a photo of him undergoing a urine test. You certainly get an appreciation for the hard work that goes into being a professional cyclist as well as the considerable work that he does for cancer research. His relationship with his partner Anna also comes across as being very close and strong. There's a photo of him smiling with Contadour at the press conference announcing that they'd be racing together, along with a wry comment that this was probably as friendly as they ever got.

It's a gorgeous book and very interesting, but do be aware that essentially it's a coffee table book rather than an autobiography.