Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

Dauphiné is a former province in southeastern France, roughly corresponding to the present départements of the Isère, Drôme, and Hautes-Alpes. Dauphiné - Origin of the name. Guy VIII, Count of Vienne, had a dolphin on his coat of arms and had been nicknamed le Dauphin (French for dolphin). This title descended in his family until 1349, when Humbert II sold his seigneurie, called the Dauphiné, to King Philippe VI on condition that the heir of France assume the title of l ...

Including:

• Dauphiné - Origin of the name

Read more here: » Dauphiné: Encyclopedia - Dauphiné

Charly Gaul (December 8, 1932 – December 6, 2005) was a leading professional cyclist of the 1950s. He was an accomplished time trialist, however, he was renowned as a climbing specialist. His climbing ability earned him the nickname of The Angel of the Mountains in the 1958 Tour de France which he won overall and took ten stage victories. He was also successful in the Giro d'Italia, winning in 1956 and 1959, and claiming several further high places. Gaul was known for his strong performances in cold and wet weather conditions, of which he often took advantage to attack his rivals. He was known for his high pe ...

Including:

• Charly Gaul - Tour de France career
• Charly Gaul - Early years
• Charly Gaul - 1958 victory
• Charly Gaul - 1959 Tour
• Charly Gaul - Late Tours
• Charly Gaul - Giro d'Italia
• Charly Gaul - Other major victories
• Charly Gaul - Retirement

Read more here: » Charly Gaul: Encyclopedia - Charly Gaul

Charly Gaul - Early years. Gaul rode his first Tour de France in 1953, but abandoned on the sixth stage. He also started the 1954 Tour but again abandoned before the finish. In the 1955 Tour, he finished third overall, won two stage victories and the overall mountains classification. He won stage 8 to Briançon and looked set for a second straight win the next day, but crashed while in the lead on a rain-soaked Alpine descent. He retained hopes of a high finishing position, and attacked in the Pyrenees, wi ...

See also:

Charly Gaul, Charly Gaul - Tour de France career, Charly Gaul - Early years, Charly Gaul - 1958 victory, Charly Gaul - 1959 Tour, Charly Gaul - Late Tours, Charly Gaul - Giro d'Italia, Charly Gaul - Other major victories, Charly Gaul - Retirement

Read more here: » Charly Gaul: Encyclopedia II - Charly Gaul - Tour de France career

Bernard Hinault - Cycling Career. Hinault, born in the town of Yffiniac in Brittany started his professional cycling career in 1974. In the beginning of his career he was closely associated with Cyrille Guimard, an innovator in cycling and Directeur Sportif of the Renault team. Taking Guimard's advice, Hinault did not enter Tour de France in 1977 in order to better prepare for the 1978 Tour de France, which he won. He was immediately hailed as the next great French cyclist and won the Tour again in 1979. I ...

See also:

Bernard Hinault, Bernard Hinault - Biography, Bernard Hinault - Cycling Career, Bernard Hinault - Le Patron, Bernard Hinault - Retirement, Bernard Hinault - Professional Highlights, Bernard Hinault - Quotes, Bernard Hinault - Reference

Read more here: » Bernard Hinault: Encyclopedia II - Bernard Hinault - Biography

Fignon started his rise to Tour de France fame in 1983 when Bernard Hinault was not available to ride that year. Hinault had been the dominant force in most Tours for the previous few years, whereas Fignon was a young newcomer on the same Renault team directed by the legendary Cyrille Guimard (Hinault's fallout with Guimard the following year meant that Fignon became Guimard's new protégé). Mid-way through the 1983 Tour, the leader Pascal Simon lost more than three minutes of his advantage to Fignon in a 15.6km individual time trial, with ...

See also:

Laurent Fignon, Laurent Fignon - Biography, Laurent Fignon - Retirement, Laurent Fignon - Significant victories by year

Read more here: » Laurent Fignon: Encyclopedia II - Laurent Fignon - Biography

Guy VIII, Count of Vienne, had a dolphin on his coat of arms and had been nicknamed le Dauphin (French for dolphin). This title descended in his family until 1349, when Humbert II sold his seigneurie, called the Dauphiné, to King Philippe VI on condition that the heir of France assume the title of le Dauphin. Le Dauphiné Libéré is a famous regional French newspaper, and organises the Cr ...

See also:

Dauphiné, Dauphiné - Origin of the name

Read more here: » Dauphiné: Encyclopedia II - Dauphiné - Origin of the name

Lance Armstrong - Early career. He began his sporting career as a triathlete, competing in adult competitions from the age of 16. It soon became clear that his greatest talent was as a bicycle racer. At 17, he received an invitation to train with the Junior National Cycling Team. Plano Independent School District's school board said that the six-week leave to train taken during the second semester of his senior year would bar him from graduating. Armstrong withdrew from Plano East Senior High School with his moth ...

See also:

Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong - Early life, Lance Armstrong - Career, Lance Armstrong - Early career, Lance Armstrong - Cancer, Lance Armstrong - Tour de France, Lance Armstrong - Livestrong and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Lance Armstrong - Other interests, Lance Armstrong - Reasons for success, Lance Armstrong - Training methodology and preparation, Lance Armstrong - Johan Bruyneel, Lance Armstrong - Superior tactics, Lance Armstrong - Riding style, Lance Armstrong - Strongest in climbing and time trials, Lance Armstrong - Rare athletic physical attributes, Lance Armstrong - Strength of his team, Lance Armstrong - Support of broader team, Lance Armstrong - Allegations of drug use, Lance Armstrong - UCI statement, Lance Armstrong - Family, Lance Armstrong - Retirement, Lance Armstrong - Comeback?, Lance Armstrong - Political possibilities, Lance Armstrong - Teams and victories, Lance Armstrong - Teams, Lance Armstrong - Victories

Read more here: » Lance Armstrong: Encyclopedia II - Lance Armstrong - Career

Upon retirement Fignon started to become involved with managing several races, most notably Paris-Nice until it was taken over by ASO the organizer of Tour de France in 2004. Fignon is now still active as a race organizer, for races such as Paris-Corrèze. He recently criticized the state of French cycling, lamenting in L'equipe that, "The sports directors don't do a good job any more. They lack competence and don't have any authority over their riders. The non-results of French teams are not only the consequences of doping," alluding to the more stringent French doping ...

See also:

Laurent Fignon, Laurent Fignon - Biography, Laurent Fignon - Retirement, Laurent Fignon - Significant victories by year

Read more here: » Laurent Fignon: Encyclopedia II - Laurent Fignon - Retirement

Immediately after winning his sixth Tour de France, rumors began circulating about Armstrong's future, with some speculating that he would like to spend more time with his family, as well as fiancée Sheryl Crow. On April 18, 2005, these rumors were confirmed as Armstrong held a press conference to announce that he would retire from professional cycling after the 2005 Tour de France. At 5:29 p.m. CET on July 24, 2005, after winning his seventh Tour de France, Lance Armstrong retired after a storied 14-year career. He cited wanting to spend more time with ...

See also:

Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong - Early life, Lance Armstrong - Career, Lance Armstrong - Early career, Lance Armstrong - Cancer, Lance Armstrong - Tour de France, Lance Armstrong - Livestrong and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Lance Armstrong - Other interests, Lance Armstrong - Reasons for success, Lance Armstrong - Training methodology and preparation, Lance Armstrong - Johan Bruyneel, Lance Armstrong - Superior tactics, Lance Armstrong - Riding style, Lance Armstrong - Strongest in climbing and time trials, Lance Armstrong - Rare athletic physical attributes, Lance Armstrong - Strength of his team, Lance Armstrong - Support of broader team, Lance Armstrong - Allegations of drug use, Lance Armstrong - UCI statement, Lance Armstrong - Family, Lance Armstrong - Retirement, Lance Armstrong - Comeback?, Lance Armstrong - Political possibilities, Lance Armstrong - Teams and victories, Lance Armstrong - Teams, Lance Armstrong - Victories

Read more here: » Lance Armstrong: Encyclopedia II - Lance Armstrong - Retirement

Armstrong and his ex-wife, the former Kristin Richard "Kik," had a son, Luke, shortly after his amazing comeback victory, and twin girls Grace and Isabelle two years later, all by in vitro fertilization. They divorced in 2003 and he later entered into a relationship with singer Sheryl Crow, who supported his cycling, following the 2004 and 2005 Tours by car. On September 5, 2005, Armstrong announced their engagement. Armstrong has diversified interests outside cycling. He had a cameo role in the film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story and has topped the bestsellers' lists with his book "It's Not About the Bike." ...

See also:

Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong - Early life, Lance Armstrong - Career, Lance Armstrong - Early career, Lance Armstrong - Cancer, Lance Armstrong - Tour de France, Lance Armstrong - Livestrong and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Lance Armstrong - Other interests, Lance Armstrong - Reasons for success, Lance Armstrong - Training methodology and preparation, Lance Armstrong - Johan Bruyneel, Lance Armstrong - Superior tactics, Lance Armstrong - Riding style, Lance Armstrong - Strongest in climbing and time trials, Lance Armstrong - Rare athletic physical attributes, Lance Armstrong - Strength of his team, Lance Armstrong - Support of broader team, Lance Armstrong - Allegations of drug use, Lance Armstrong - UCI statement, Lance Armstrong - Family, Lance Armstrong - Retirement, Lance Armstrong - Comeback?, Lance Armstrong - Political possibilities, Lance Armstrong - Teams and victories, Lance Armstrong - Teams, Lance Armstrong - Victories

Read more here: » Lance Armstrong: Encyclopedia II - Lance Armstrong - Other interests

Many have discussed the reasons for Armstrong's success in winning seven Tours in a row. Few would disagree that his success involved some combination of the following reasons, and probably a different mix each year. Lance Armstrong - Training methodology and preparation. Armstrong has clearly triumphed at least partly because he learned to apply the obsessive focus he developed fighting cancer to making a career of winning the Tour de France, training in Spain for months leading up to the Tour de France and making frequent trips to France to fully analyze an ...

See also:

Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong - Early life, Lance Armstrong - Career, Lance Armstrong - Early career, Lance Armstrong - Cancer, Lance Armstrong - Tour de France, Lance Armstrong - Livestrong and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Lance Armstrong - Other interests, Lance Armstrong - Reasons for success, Lance Armstrong - Training methodology and preparation, Lance Armstrong - Johan Bruyneel, Lance Armstrong - Superior tactics, Lance Armstrong - Riding style, Lance Armstrong - Strongest in climbing and time trials, Lance Armstrong - Rare athletic physical attributes, Lance Armstrong - Strength of his team, Lance Armstrong - Support of broader team, Lance Armstrong - Allegations of drug use, Lance Armstrong - UCI statement, Lance Armstrong - Family, Lance Armstrong - Retirement, Lance Armstrong - Comeback?, Lance Armstrong - Political possibilities, Lance Armstrong - Teams and victories, Lance Armstrong - Teams, Lance Armstrong - Victories

Read more here: » Lance Armstrong: Encyclopedia II - Lance Armstrong - Reasons for success

Like many top cyclists, Armstrong has long been accused of using performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong and his supporters have often attributed accusations of doping to jealousy and sensationalist journalism by French and European newspapers such as l'Équipe and Le Monde; some American journalists even have attributed them to anti-americanism, though European newspapers have made similar accusations against ...

See also:

Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong - Early life, Lance Armstrong - Career, Lance Armstrong - Early career, Lance Armstrong - Cancer, Lance Armstrong - Tour de France, Lance Armstrong - Livestrong and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Lance Armstrong - Other interests, Lance Armstrong - Reasons for success, Lance Armstrong - Training methodology and preparation, Lance Armstrong - Johan Bruyneel, Lance Armstrong - Superior tactics, Lance Armstrong - Riding style, Lance Armstrong - Strongest in climbing and time trials, Lance Armstrong - Rare athletic physical attributes, Lance Armstrong - Strength of his team, Lance Armstrong - Support of broader team, Lance Armstrong - Allegations of drug use, Lance Armstrong - UCI statement, Lance Armstrong - Family, Lance Armstrong - Retirement, Lance Armstrong - Comeback?, Lance Armstrong - Political possibilities, Lance Armstrong - Teams and victories, Lance Armstrong - Teams, Lance Armstrong - Victories

Read more here: » Lance Armstrong: Encyclopedia II - Lance Armstrong - Allegations of drug use

In an article in the Austin-American Statesman (6 Sept 2005), Lance Armstrong claims he's thinking of a comeback to the 2006 Tour de France "to piss the French off." Asked if he was serious about this, he answered, "I'm training every day." The Austin American-Statesman: Armstrong is engaged and contemplating a comeback Cycling News: Lance back at Tour 2006? Cycling News: Armstrong: Will he or won't he? However, it has subsequently been reported that his agent, Mark Higgins, said: "Lance was just having a little fun with th ...

See also:

Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong - Early life, Lance Armstrong - Career, Lance Armstrong - Early career, Lance Armstrong - Cancer, Lance Armstrong - Tour de France, Lance Armstrong - Livestrong and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Lance Armstrong - Other interests, Lance Armstrong - Reasons for success, Lance Armstrong - Training methodology and preparation, Lance Armstrong - Johan Bruyneel, Lance Armstrong - Superior tactics, Lance Armstrong - Riding style, Lance Armstrong - Strongest in climbing and time trials, Lance Armstrong - Rare athletic physical attributes, Lance Armstrong - Strength of his team, Lance Armstrong - Support of broader team, Lance Armstrong - Allegations of drug use, Lance Armstrong - UCI statement, Lance Armstrong - Family, Lance Armstrong - Retirement, Lance Armstrong - Comeback?, Lance Armstrong - Political possibilities, Lance Armstrong - Teams and victories, Lance Armstrong - Teams, Lance Armstrong - Victories

Read more here: » Lance Armstrong: Encyclopedia II - Lance Armstrong - Comeback?

In an interview with the New York Times, teammate George Hincapie hinted at Armstrong possibly running for Governor of Texas after retiring from cycling. In the July 2005 issue of Outside magazine [9], Armstrong himself hinted at possibly running for Governor, although "not in '06." By Texas political standards, he would almost certainly run as a Democrat, as he has described himself in the past as being "middle to left," "against mixing up State and Church," "not keen on guns," opposed to the Iraq War, and pro-choice. U.S. Sen ...

See also:

Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong - Early life, Lance Armstrong - Career, Lance Armstrong - Early career, Lance Armstrong - Cancer, Lance Armstrong - Tour de France, Lance Armstrong - Livestrong and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Lance Armstrong - Other interests, Lance Armstrong - Reasons for success, Lance Armstrong - Training methodology and preparation, Lance Armstrong - Johan Bruyneel, Lance Armstrong - Superior tactics, Lance Armstrong - Riding style, Lance Armstrong - Strongest in climbing and time trials, Lance Armstrong - Rare athletic physical attributes, Lance Armstrong - Strength of his team, Lance Armstrong - Support of broader team, Lance Armstrong - Allegations of drug use, Lance Armstrong - UCI statement, Lance Armstrong - Family, Lance Armstrong - Retirement, Lance Armstrong - Comeback?, Lance Armstrong - Political possibilities, Lance Armstrong - Teams and victories, Lance Armstrong - Teams, Lance Armstrong - Victories

Read more here: » Lance Armstrong: Encyclopedia II - Lance Armstrong - Political possibilities