Bike helmets off to Lance Armstrong

When he won the Tour de France in 1999, many cycling aficionados called his victory a fluke.

They said he won only because several other strong cyclists were injured or suspended.

Many thought Lance Armstrong's story would end up as a footnote in the history books; he would be the never-say-die Texan who survived cancer and won cyclingís most grueling event to show that he was back.

He's been back four times now.

On Sunday, July 28, 2002, Armstrong won the Tour de France for the fourth year in a row. When he won it in 1999, he became the first U.S. citizen, on a U.S. team, with a bike made in the U.S.A., to win the event.

He beat the second-place man by more than seven minutes, finishing the last stage along a street crowded with people waving U.S. flags.

Armstrongís cycling story is one of rags to riches; his mother, who was single, worked at a secretarial job, struggling to make ends meet and sacrificing a lot so her son could have luxuries such as Slurpees every so often.

Armstrong hated the man his mother later married. Instead of paternal guidance, all Armstrong got from him was discipline in the form of lectures and a sore behind.

In his book ìItís Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life,î Armstrong wrote that he took up cycling because it was his chance to break free. He felt as if he could leave his stepfather and all his other problems behind by hopping onto his bike and riding out of the city. Anger was his fuel.

Long-distance running was also one of Armstrong's specialties. In his book, he wrote that he has an extremely high pain threshold and can suffer more than most people can, so long-distance running was right up his alley.

Armstrong got into swimming and improved greatly. By the time he was in high school, he was riding his bike 40 miles and swimming six miles every day.

When he saw a flier advertising a triathlon, Armstrong jumped at the opportunity. Swimming, biking and running were the things he did best.

By the time he was a junior in high school, Armstrong was making $20,000 a year winning triathlons.

Armstrong was invited to be part of the U.S. national junior cycling team. In his first race with the team, he finished higher than any other U.S. competitor had ever finished in a junior national competition.

Armstrong landed a spot with Cofidis, a French cycling team, and competed in several races in Europe with them. He started to win some of the races; his cycling career was getting better, and all signs pointed to a promising future in cycling.

Then he got cancer.

At first, Armstrong tried to ignore his symptoms, waiting until it was almost too late before he seriously asked a doctor about them.

The doctor found that Armstrong had testicular cancer, which had spread to his lungs and his brain.

Armstrong had three surgeries to remove his cancerous tumors, then four rounds of intense chemotherapy. The doctors who helped Armstrong said later that his cancer was really bad and should have killed him.

In his book, Armstrong wrote that the chemotherapy was so poisonous to his body, he still suffers from its effects.

Now he's so good at cycling, some have said his cancer gave him an unfair advantage.

By the time he had undergone the surgeries and chemotherapy, Armstrong weighed 157 pounds instead of 175. As a result, he didnít have to lug as much muscle up and down mountains.

Another advantage he gained from cancer was a good, sound mellowing. Before the cancer, Armstrong could dominate a race as long as it lasted one day or less. He lived in a two-million-dollar home in Austin, Texas and drove a sports car, which he often drove recklessly. He ate lots of Mexican food, drank martinis and partied. He couldn't settle down and get married, even though he thought his girlfriend was a find.

After his cancer treatment, Armstrong organized a foundation to help cancer survivors. He met a woman who was involved with the foundation, and they decided to wed. Lance and Kristin Armstrong bought a house in France, then moved back to Austin when he quit cycling for a while. When Armstrong decided to go for the Tour de France title, the couple moved back to France.

Since Cofidis terminated their contract with Armstrong because they thought he was going to die, he got a contract with the U.S. Postal Service team, which has resulted in a win-win relationship.

Armstrong trained methodically. He weighed his pasta before cooking it, making sure he ate the exact amount he needed to make it through his rides. Close to the Armstrongs' home stood a famous mountain peak, which several cyclists rode once a year to test themselves. Armstrong rode it once a month, and eventually set the record for the fastest climb.

He had changed. Armstrong started out as a brash Texan, talking trash during races, surging ahead of the pack for no reason at all. After his cancer treatment, he was a smarter rider. He made friends instead of enemies. He surged only when he needed to surge. He became virtually unbeatable in the mountains.

A three-week race such as the Tour de France requires good teammates, endurance and lots of tactics, not to mention a healthy dose of good fortune. Armstrong has had all of the above since his landmark Tour de France win in 1999. He is now shooting for two more consecutive titles, which would make him the only person to ever win the race six times in a row.

Itís incredible that, in a sport that has been dominated for so long by European teams, the U.S. finally has a team to cheer for.

Now thatís something to wave a flag about.