Read about: How Tall is Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong is perhaps the most famous cyclist in the world today. As if winning the Tour de France for a record-breaking seven consecutive years (from 1999 to 2006) wasn’t enough, he did so after winning a public battle with testicular cancer in 1996. Originally retiring in 2005 to concentrate on building his anti-cancer LIVESTRONG organization, Armstrong eventually returned to cycling in 2009 where he placed 3rd overall in the Tour de France. While there are many aspects of his life which are remarkable, perhaps most striking is the fact that he doesn’t fit the standard picture of an American athlete.

When we think about Athletes in American, we tend to think about Baseball players, Football players, and Basketball players. What all these athletes have in common is the fact that they tend to be very large men. Baseball players were once smaller, yet in recent decades have ballooned in size in relationship with their home run percentages. American football players are well known for being some of the largest athletes on earth, rarely standing below six feet tall and rarely weighing less than 200 pounds. After all, you need to be that size to withstand the constant impact that the sport provides. Finally, while you can find a competitive professional Basketball player less than six feet tall, it’s pretty rare.

So, how does Lance Armstrong measure up? How tall is Lance Armstrong? The seven time consecutive Tour de France champion is only 1.77 m, or 5’ 9.5’’ tall, weighing in at just 75 kg (165 lbs). Many people will be surprised to learn that Lance Armstrong is only the height of the average American male. While greater size seems to help out in most sports, it doesn’t seem to offer too much of an advantage in bicycle racing.

In fact, increased height might actually be detrimental to performing competitively as a cyclist. In the 2009 Tour de France, only half of the top ten cyclists stood six feet tall or higher, and the 2009 all around champion (Spain’s Alberto Contador) is only 5’ 9.5’’ tall. No other year in the past decade featured half of the top ten standing 6 feet tall or higher, and short or average height champions seem to be standard for the Tour de France. Consider the following statistics:

1) The 2008 Tour de France winner, Carlos Sastre, is only 5’ 8’’ tall. In total, eight of the top ten finalists stood less than six feet tall, including four of the top five racers.
2) The 2007 Tour de France winner was Alberto Contador of Spain, who we’ve mentioned is the same height as Lance Armstrong’s, measuring 5’ 9.5’’ tall. In addition, all of the top ten racers stood less then six feet tall.
3) The 2006 Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro stands only 5’10’’ tall. In the top ten, only three cyclists were taller than six foot.
4) And of course, from 1999 to 2005 Lance Armstrong received first place in the Tour de France standing 5’ 9.5’’ tall.