Evolution of American Bicycle Racing

Lance Armstrong is a household name the world over. But how could a cyclist from the United States so dominate the world's most grueling sporting eventan event Americans weren't even invited to compete in just decades earlier? In this revolutionary book, Lou Dzierzak explains how key races and landmark events brought American cyclists out of obscurity and made them internationally dominating competitors. Six-day races, road racing, track racing, and legendary cycling performances at home and abroadthe significant events in the history of American cycling come alive within these pages. Discover America's first bicycle racing superstars. Is Lance Armstrong truly the best of all time? Maybe not. Follow the action at key U.S. and international races that paved the way for sponsorship dollars, American pro teams, and dominating American cyclists like Andy Hampsten, Greg LeMond, Lance Armstrong, Tyler Hamilton, and George Hincapie. Witness nearly a century of drugs, doping, and scandals, from cocaine use during the six-day races in the late1890s, to blood boosting at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, to the scandal-plagued 2006 Tour de France victory by American Floyd Landis. Look to the future as new U.S. stage races form, Under 23 development teams thrive, and new heroes of American cycling begin to emerge.Dzierzak, Lou is the author of 'Evolution of American Bicycle Racing ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780762739011 and ISBN 0762739010.