Description

About the book

That was quite a victory. Lance Armstrong, winner of the 1999 Tour de France, and a wonderful first in his five-in-a-row (and still counting…) series of Tour victories.

In 1992, at age 21, he was a brash neo-professional from Texas. In October 1996, at the conclusion of the Tour de France, he was diagnosed with cancer, and given a 20-percent chance of survival — not to mention his chances of returning to the sport he loved. A year later, he was recovering from cancer therapy and joined the Tour de France as a visitor. In 1998, he started a slow and at first faltering comeback, dropping out of several major races.

But then, in 1999, he did come back. In a big way, becoming the second American (after Greg LeMond) to win the Tour de France, the world’s toughest sporting event.

In Lance Armstrong’s Comeback from Cancer, veteran bicycle racing writer Samuel Abt pieces together, not only the story of Armstrong’s spectacular Tour victory, but also his equally miraculous victory over cancer. Written as a scrapbook of Armstrong’s career, it’s a true story, and an inspirational one, proving that there is hope for cancer survivors. A dramatic book — and a tribute to a conquering spirit.

About the author

Samuel Abt is associate editor for the International Herald Tribune, based in Paris, and has written about bicycle racing for that paper and the New York Times for over two decades. He has written eight previous books about the sport and is the only American awarded the Medal of the Tour de France for distinguished service to the sport.
About the photographer:

James Startt is a photographer based in Paris. He has been following European bicycle racing for many years and regularly reports on the sport for the U.S. cycling publications. His photos have been prominently exhibited at major photo galleries in Paris and was included in the Oakland (California) Museum’s 2000 Bicycle Art Exhibit.

Critical reviews of the author’s earlier books

"Abt understands that the sport is a metaphor for life, and he uses his considerable writing skills to convey its drama." — The Washington Post

"Abt’s style is distinctly disarming. He has a way of befriending riders and making them reveal themselves." — Bicycling Magazine