Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion [Hardcover]

John Wilcockson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 29, 2009

No champion has astonished the world quite like Lance Armstrong. A cancer survivor who went on to win the Tour de France an unprecedented seven times, he is an inspiration to millions. Yet few know the complete story of this brash, smart, and fiercely competitive Texan who battled to the top of his sport, overcame the most rampant case of testicular cancer doctors had seen, and then conquered cycling’s Holy Grail time after time. In Lance: The Making of the World’s Greatest Champion, John Wilcockson draws on dozens of interviews with those who know him best to trace Armstrong’s remarkable, yet controversial journey in vivid detail.

Family members—including his adoptive father speaking publicly for the first time—recall Lance’s humble origins in the backstreets of Dallas, the father he barely knew, his single mom’s struggle for survival, and her second marriage that brought a move to the suburbs and new opportunities. His childhood friends and early mentors remember how he moved on from Little League baseball and football to excel at swimming, running, and triathlon, while living the life of a teenager who loved fast cars and pretty girls. They also describe the circumstances that eventually led to his taking up cycling.

As Lance’s fierce ambition drove him from the dusty plains of Texas to the snowy peaks of Europe, he was both admired and derided. He intimidated his rivals, earned the respect of his teammates, and astounded everyone with his extraordinary deeds. But his achievements have consistently been dogged by allegations of doping and secrecy, and questions of how triumph on such a grand scale could even be possible.

So how did Lance become the supreme champion of his sport? He didn’t do it alone. His compelling story is intertwined with the stories of those who helped shape his life and career, including his mother Linda, ex-wife Kristin, and one-time fiancée Sheryl Crow, along with those of his mentors, coaches, and friends. Their voices, along with those who helped him expand his cancer foundation into a worldwide movement, are integral to his unique story. Lance also reveals details, many for the first time, of how Armstrong’s legendary training, near-fatal bout with cancer, repeated doping allegations, and hostile European media all pushed him to reach the pinnacle of his sport and rightly claim the title of the world’s greatest champion.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

By winning the Tour de France seven straight times (after surviving testicular cancer, no less), Lance Armstrong reached the hallowed status of athletes like Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali. With Armstrong's cooperation, Wilcockson (23 Days in July) profiles the cyclist's rise from a hell-raising Texas kid to a determined, disciplined champion who celebrates the highs of sports immortality while enduring lows like repeated doping allegations and shattered relationships. Wilcockson has tracked down an array of impressive sources-numerous cycling associates, family members, even Armstrong's ex-wife, Kristin. However, the resulting interviews provide little more than inspirational platitudes or fuzzy reminiscences, which are accompanied by ponderous accounts of training regimens and cycling events. With Wilcockson's fawning prose the book consistently reads like a press release (e.g., "Once Lance makes a promise...he always keeps it") a heavy contributor. Armstrong has led an extraordinary life so far, becoming synonymous with a sport and a disease while befriending movie stars and dating celebrities like Sheryl Crow.
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Review

Kirkus Reviews, 6/1/09
“[A] detailed…biography of one of the world’s most inspiring athletes…Wilcockson is at his best describing this tortuous 2,200-mile event, which tests athletes to the breaking point, and he ably captures the world of European cycling—the techniques, personalities and overwhelming passion.”

Booklist, 5/15/09
“Cycling fans will enjoy the summaries of Armstrong’s racing triumphs, and there are lots of fascinating insider anecdotes to flesh out the story line. This subject-friendly biography of one of the world’s most famous sports luminaries is sure to get lots of media hype and be in considerable demand.”

Library Journal
“This book offers stories and insights that will make it a popular choice for those who follow Armstrong and/or his sport.”

PW.com
“Wilcockson has tracked down an array of impressive sources…Armstrong has led an extraordinary life so far...”

The Independent (UK), 7/19/09
“[A] fascinating, very well put-together portrait full of insights into its subject's personality…The adult dramas – the rise to cycling prominence and his domination of the Tour, the cancer and the setting up of his cancer foundation, his marriage, fatherhood, divorce, and his relationship with Sheryl Crow – are better known, but in Wilcockson's hands they remain rich in the re-telling, and much is added to our understanding of a tumultuous life.”

The Guardian (UK), 7/19/09
“[S]ceptics might be less surprised to witness Armstrong's renaissance if they had read John Wilcockson's new biography.”

The Texas Observer, 7/10/09
“Wilcockson is able to offer the inside dope (pun intended) on the champ’s training techniques, his rise through the ranks and his triumph over family strife and cancer to emerge as one of the planet’s best-known athletes…Wilcockson certainly knows the business of bike racing, and he delivers a fine primer.”

The Daily Beast
“Lance is a compelling story of survival and, above all else, endurance.”

The New York Times, 7/23/09
“Another Armstrong book?...Is there anything left to say or explain? Yes there is and Wilcockson says it and explains it meticulously, even controversially…Confident, confrontational, motivated by anger and a fear of failure — these well-known Armstrong traits are explored at length by Wilcockson in a series of interviews with figures in the rider’s past, including his adopted father, his early mentor, relatives and boyhood friends and the doctor who first diagnosed the testicular cancer that had spread to the rider’s brain, lungs and stomach. Lance lets them all speak as Wilcockson blends their stories into a skillful portrait to detail the book’s subtitle, The Making of the World’s Greatest Champion.”

The New York Times, 7/23/09
“Another Armstrong book?...Is there anything left to say or explain? Yes there is and Wilcockson says it and explains it meticulously, even controversially…Lance lets them all speak as Wilcockson blends their stories into a skillful portrait.”

San Antonio Express News, 7/27/09
“If you're an Armstrong follower, a cyclist or a fan of sports nonfiction, Lance won't disappoint.”

Bike World News, 9/1
“[F]or fans of Armstrong who are looking for a comprehensive look at his life, this book would fit the bill.”

Buffalo News, 9/6
“[Wilcockson] offers a unique biography of Armstrong that intertwines the personal with the professional.”

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (June 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306815877
• ISBN-13: 978-0306815874
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #839,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspirational Portrait of a True Champion, June 30, 2009

By 

Paul Visvader (Boulder, Colorado) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion (Hardcover)

This is an outstanding book! Author John Wilcockson has written an absolutely fascinating, wonderfully informative, and totally engaging biography of one of the premier sports figures of our (or any) time, Lance Armstrong. The story of Armstrong's humble childhood (he was the product of a broken family) through his initial successes as a triathlete and eventually, a bicycle racer, is especially engrossing--as is the story of his absolutely incredible comeback after having one of the most severe cases of cancer his doctors had ever seen. One really gets a sense of the incredible grit and tenacity that would lead Armstrong to an unprecedented seven (and at this time, a possible--or probable--eight) victories in the Tour de France. Wilcockson fills out the biography with extensive quotes derived from interviews with all of the major protagonists in Armstrong's life: his family, friends, coaches, romantic interests, professional colleagues--this gives a wonderfully rich texture to the book and lets us really know the man rather than just the sports icon. In addition, Wilcockson doesn't shy away from addressing Armstrong's personal "foibles" (e.g., a certain recklessness and hauteur) and especially, the "doping" controversies that have surrounded Armstrong and many other successful athletes in the sport--he gives a fair and balanced picture of this thorny issue and convinces the reader that a combination of careful and relentless training, unyielding support from family, friends, and teammates, and the almost fanatical will to overcome obstacles has alone propelled Armstrong to the pinnacle of his success. In the final analysis, this book is a real inspiration (whether the reader happens to be athlete or not) and is very highly recommended indeed!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile read about an incredible champion, July 20, 2009

By 

Julia Flyte - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion (Hardcover)

This is a very interesting book about Lance Armstrong's incredible cycling career and life. As Elizabeth Edwards points out, the level of success that he has achieved in an immensely physically demanding sport is phenomenal and to have achieved that success as a cancer survivor is even more remarkable. The writer clearly knows Armstrong well and appears to have had unrestricted access to his family and friends.

The first hundred pages deal with Lance's childhood and early triathalon/ cycling days. It gets more interesting once Lance turns professional, although I did feel that there was a bit too much focus on the details about the races he participated in and not enough on how he was developing as a cyclist and an individual. It's only in the final quarter of the book that we read about the seven victorious Tour de France campaigns. It also discusses his racing techniques (although We Might As Well Win: On the Road to Success with the Mastermind Behind Eight Tour de FranceVictories is a better choice if this is what you are interested in).

Wilcockson spends a lot of time talking about the allegations of performance enhancing drugs that persistently dogged Armstrong's career. He makes a strong case for Lance never having taken them. He points out that from the earliest days Lance had brute strength and natural ability, which he later honed as he developed a better bike sense and riding skills. The loss of upper body muscle mass after his battle with cancer enabled him to rise to the next level. Wilcockson also points out that Lance's secrecy about his training techniques worked against him in terms of reducing others' suspicion.

The majority of the book is very much about Lance the cyclist. I wish the author had been as interested in getting to the heart of Lance the man as he was in all those drug allegations. The most interesting parts for me were the most personal: Lance's battle with cancer, his devastation when his teammate Casartelli was killed, his relationships with his wife and with Sheryl Crow.

The picture of Lance that emerges is a highly charismatic, very private, intensely driven and somewhat humorless man who was very much the hands-on CEO of his team. For many years his life revolved around the Tour de France: he rarely read a book or even lay down on a couch. His teammates respected him but were also somewhat afraid of him. While immensely talented, he also trained obsessively and made extremely smart decisions about the team of people that he surrounded himself with.

The book doesn't spend a lot of time on Lance's relationships. He is clearly still very close to his ex-wife Kristin. The reasons for their break-up are not really explained here although Wilcockson suggests some theories. Nor is it very clear why he and Sheryl Crow split up - there is reference to their relationship being volatile but it's not really explored. His relationship with Anna Hanson who is the mother of his baby son Max is only briefly mentioned at the very end of the book. It would have been interesting to know more about her.

The book opens with Armstrong's decision to return for the 2009 Tour de France. I thought it was odd that Alberto Contadour is never mentioned in the book and nor is Bruyneel's reaction to Lance's return. The ending does feel a little rushed. Nevertheless, a worthwhile read about an incredible champion.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So-so book about Lance the man (or Lance the cyclist), July 26, 2009

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion (Hardcover)

John Wilcockson has written quite a few books about the sport of professional cycling, and in particular the Tour De France, as well as about Lance Armstrong, whom the author has known for many years. In particular good is his 2005 book "23 Days in July' (about Lance's record-breaking 6th Tour de France win in 2004). Now comes this book, which purports to give a look at Lance the person.

"Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion" (411 pages, including 16 pages of full-color pictures) brings a straight-forward chronological portrait of Lance Armstrong, from his early days in Dallas, to his eventually move to Austin, where Lance laid the foundation of his professional cycling career. But the book really takes off (and at the same time fails to deliver) when Lance gets testicular cancer, which almost killed him. Retells one of the doctors: "We found mostly embryonal cells, and those at that time were not curable. So I spoke with [a colleague doctor] and we were saying, this is what we got and what should I tell him? And he said 'Well, tell him 20 percent.' I said 'Okay' but in my view the chances were zero, or almost zero." The entire cancer episode is dealt with in a mere 16 pages in the book, and it just seems too quick and too rushed. The next 24 months in Lance's life are an incredible up-and-down, again dealt with hurriedly, although noting that "It was Lance's good fortune to skip the '98 Tour since that was the one devastated by doping scandals". There is very little revealing about Lance's personal life, including his stll-mysterious divorce from wife Kristin, and the equally baffling and sudden end to his relationship with Sheryl Crow. As the author is a good friend of Lance, it's clear he simply decided to stay clear from that, but as this purports to be a book about Lance the man, it leaves you wondering.

As someone who has been a fan of professional cycling for all of my life, I felt somewhat disappointed in the book. Lance is an incredibly fascinating person, yet somehow it didn't come through all that much in this book. As a fan, I much more enjoyd this author's "23 Days In July" as well as Johan Bruyneel's "Might As Well Win It". The 2009 Tour de France ended today, with Lance finishing in 3rd place, very respectful given his 4 year absence from the Tour. Lance has already announced that he will come back to the Tour in 2010, in a new team (persuambly with team manager and long-time confidant Johan Bruyneel again at his side). Can't wait for that.