United States champion - Miniature cyclist figurines

Lance Armstrong

In the United States of America an annual national championship is organized. The winner of this cycling race can wear the jersey with the stars and the stripes for one year in the competitions of the respective category and discipline. There are competitions for men, women, professionals, amateurs, juniors, ... Of all disciplines, the road and time trial are the most important.

Until 1985 there was no road race for pros, but there was one for amateurs. The record holder for the men is Fred Rodriguez with 4 victories. And for the women it’s Connie Carpenter with also 4 wins.

In time trial David Zabriskie is the number one with no less than 7 victories. With the ladies Mari Holden is the record holder with five wins.

In 1993 Lance Armstrong won the road race. He is undoubtedly one of the most successful Americans ever in the cycling peloton. But at the same time one of the most controversial riders.

Winners road race men:
1985 Eric Heiden
1986 Thomas Prehn
1987 Tom Schuler
1988 Ron Kiefel
1989 Greg Oravetz
1990 Kurt Stockton
1991 Davis Phinney
1992 Bart Bowen
1993 Lance Armstrong
1994 Steve Hegg
1995 Norman Alvis
1996 Eddy Gragus
1997 Bart Bowen
1998 George Hincapie
1999 Marty Jemison
2000 Fred Rodriguez
2001 Fred Rodriguez
2002 Chann McRae
2003 Mark McCormack
2004 Fred Rodriguez
2005 Chris Wherry
2006 George Hincapie
2007 Levi Leipheimer
2008 Tyler Hamilton
2009 George Hincapie
2010 Ben King
2011 Matthew Busche
2012 Timmy Duggan
2013 Fred Rodriguez
2014 Eric Marcotte
2015 Matthew Busche
2016 Gregory Daniel
2017 Larry Warbasse
2018 Jonathan Brown

Winners time trial men:
1975 Wayne Stetina 
1976 John Howard 
1977 Paul Deem 
1978 Andrew Weaver 
1979 Andrew Weaver 
1980 Tom Doughty 
1981 Tom Doughty 
1982 Andrew Weaver 
1983 Ron Kiefel 
1984 Thurlow Rogers 
1985 Kent Bostick 
1986 Karl Maxon 
1987 Norman Alvis 
1988 John Frey 
1989 Nathan Sheafor 
1990 Steve Hegg 
1991 Kent Bostick 
1992 John Stenner 
1993 Scott Mercier 
1994 Clay Moseley 
1995 Steve Hegg 
1996 Steve Hegg 
1997 Jonathan Vaughters 
1998 Dylan Casey 
1999 Levi Leipheimer 
2000 Adham Sbeih 
2001 Trent Klasna 
2002 Dylan Casey 
2003 Chris Baldwin 
2004 David Zabriskie 
2005 Chris Baldwin 
2006 David Zabriskie 
2007 David Zabriskie 
2008 David Zabriskie 
2009 David Zabriskie 
2010 Taylor Phinney 
2011 David Zabriskie 
2012 David Zabriskie 
2013 Tom Zirbel 
2014 Taylor Phinney 
2015 Andrew Talansky 
2016 Taylor Phinney 
2017 Joey Rosskopf 
2018 Joey Rosskopf 
2019 Ian Garrison

Winners road race women:
1966 Audrey McElmury 
1967 Nancy Burghart 
1968 Nancy Burghart 
1969 Donna Tobias 
1970 Audrey McElmury 
1971 Mary Jane Reoch 
1972 Debbie Bradley 
1973 Eileen Brennan 
1974 Jane Robinson 
1975 Linda Stein 
1976 Connie Carpenter 
1977 Connie Carpenter 
1978 Barbara Hintzen 
1979 Connie Carpenter 
1980 Beth Heiden 
1981 Connie Carpenter 
1982 Sue Novara 
1983 Rebecca Twigg 
1984 Rebecca Daughton 
1985 Rebecca Daughton 
1986 Katrin Tobin 
1987 Janelle Parks 
1988 Inga Thompson 
1989 Juliana Furtado 
1990 Ruthie Matthes 
1991 Inga Thompson 
1992 Jeanne Golay 
1993 Inga Thompson 
1994 Jeanne Golay 
1995 Jeanne Golay 
1996 Deirdre Demet-Barry 
1997 Louisa Jenkins 
1998 Pamela Schuster 
1999 Mari Holden 
2000 Nicole Freedman 
2001 Kimberly Bruckner Baldwin 
2002 Jessica Phillips 
2003 
2004 Kristin Armstrong 
2005 Katheryn Curi Mattis 
2006 Kristin Armstrong 
2007 Mara Abbott 
2008 Brooke Miller 
2009 Meredith Miller 
2010 Mara Abbott 
2011 Robin Farina 
2012 Megan Guarnier 
2013 Jade Wilcoxson 
2014 Alison Powers 
2015 Megan Guarnier 
2016 Megan Guarnier 
2017 Amber Neben 
2018 Coryn Rivera

Winners time trial women:
1975 Mary Jane Reoch 
1976 Lyn Lemaire 
1977 Lyn Lemaire 
1978 Esther Salmi 
1979 Beth Heiden 
1980 Beth Heiden 
1981 Connie Carpenter 
1982 Rebecca Twigg 
1983 Cindy Olavarri 
1984 Patti Cashman 
1985 Elizabeth Larsen 
1986 Jane Marshall 
1987 Inga Benedict 
1988 Phyllis Hines 
1989 Jeanne Golay 
1990 Inga Thompson 
1991 Inga Thompson 
1992 Jeanne Golay 
1993 Rebecca Twigg 
1994 Rebecca Twigg 
1995 Mari Holden 
1996 Mari Holden 
1997 Elizabeth Emery 
1998 Mari Holden 
1999 Mari Holden 
2000 Mari Holden 
2001 Kimberly Bruckner Baldwin 
2002 Kimberly Bruckner Baldwin 
2003 Kimberly Bruckner Baldwin 
2004 Christine Thorburn 
2005 Kristin Armstrong 
2006 Kristin Armstrong 
2007 Kristin Armstrong 
2008 Alison Powers 
2009 Jessica Phillips 
2010 Evelyn Stevens 
2011 Evelyn Stevens 
2012 Amber Neben 
2013 Carmen Small 
2014 Alison Powers 
2015 Kristin Armstrong 
2016 Carmen Small 
2017 Amber Neben 
2018 Amber Neben 
2019 Amber Neben

Lance Armstrong

Armstrong started his professional career in 1992. He stayed in Europe, the place to be for cyclists. He achieved beautiful victories for example his victory in the 1993 World Road Championships in Oslo, Norway. In the Tour de France of 1995 teammate Fabio Casartelli fell heavily and died. The next day's stage the whole peloton was in mourning. Lance Armstrong and the rest of the Motorola team were the first to cross the finish line before the other riders. It looked like a funeral procession. A few stages later Armstrong attacked and won the stage. He dedicated his victory to Fabio Casartelli by looking at the sky with his arms in the air. A few years later, in 2001, the tour visited the same col where Casartelli had died. Armstrong won the stage and again dedicated the victory to Casartelli.

Lance Armstrong achieved his greatest successes in the Tour de France. He won the Tour seven times between 1999 and 2005 together with sports director Johan Bruyneel. Typical for Armstrong was the high pedalling frequency. He reached 110 pedal revolutions per minute. In time trials this could be 125 revolutions per minute. In comparison with other riders who made 90 to 95 revolutions per minute, this was remarkable. Because of the use of doping, he won the Tour in 2012, as well as his other victories from 8/1998 onwards. The International Cycling Union UCI suspended him for life. However, for many his victories remain of great value. Between 1999 and 2005, every professional rider probably took doping. Only not all of them could be caught. From this point of view, Armstrong's use of doping is not so exceptional. Although of course it's hard to justify it. It is also remarkable that Lance Armstrong had a relationship with singer Sheryl Crow from 2004 to 2005. With her presence in the Tour she of course provided a lot of extra publicity for the team.

Armstrong has also founded an organization that fights cancer. The organization was called Livestrong and raised more than 500 million dollars for charity. He himself had once been a cancer patient. In 1996 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer with metastases to the brain and lungs. The doctors gave him less than 50% chance of survival. He was operated on twice and treated with experimental chemotherapy. Miraculously he became better and better, and finally he was declared cured. After that he worked on his comeback and soon got back on his bike. In 2004 his organization developed yellow anti-cancer Livestrongbands together with Nike. It became a huge craze. Everyone wanted such a band and many cancer patients got hope. Armstrong's nicknames were The Boss, King Lance, The Animal, Mellow Johnny and The Big Tex.

His teams:
1992-1996 Motorola
1997-1997 Cofidis
1998-2004 US Postal Service
2005-2005 Discovery Channel - Berry Floor
2009-2009 Astana
2010-2011 Team RadioShack

In 2009 the boss made his comeback in the peloton. He was employed by the Kazakh company Astana. Here he would work together with sports director Johan Bruyneel again. The reason for his comeback was to bring cancer research to the attention of the public, and also to prove to the sceptical cycling world that he was doping free. He rode the Tour de France in 2009. He would make it to the podium. A third place was a great result for a man approaching 40. Armstrong had worn the yellow jersey for a day in that Tour. His teammate Alberto Contador won the Tour that year. In 2010 he joined Team Radioshack as a rider. He rode the Tour again but wouldn't do a great job. He finished 23rd in the general classification. In 2011 stopped professional cycling for the second time.

Greatest victories:
1991 GC Cycling week Lombardia
1993 World championship on the  road
1995 Clásica San Sebastián
1996 Walloon arrowl
1998 GC Tour de Luxemburg
1999 GC Tour de France
2000 GC Tour de France
2000 Olympic games (time trial)
2000 GP Eddy Merckx (together with Vjatsjeslav Jekimov)
2001 GC Tour de France
2001 GC Tour de Switzerland
2002 GC Tour deFrance
2002 GC Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
2002 GC Midi Libre
2003 GC Tour de France
2003 GC Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
2004 GC Tour de France
2005 GC Tour de France

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