It's hard to argue with success; it's even tougher to emulate it. But if you want to train like a Tour de France winner, you couldn't do much better than learning the tricks of the trade from two-time champion (1999 and 2000) Lance Armstrong.

In The Lance Armstrong Performance Program: Seven Weeks to the Perfect Ride, Armstrong teams up with his coach, Chris Carmichael (whom the U.S. Olympic Committee named 1999's Coach of the Year), to offer the ultimate insider's guide to becoming a better rider, based on the regimen Carmichael has been fine-tuning for Armstrong since the early 1990s. Noting that athletes of all levels focus best when aiming for specific goals at the end of short windows, the authors describe the performance program as consisting of "three specialized weekly training programs that build on your current fitness level" followed by a week of "recovery riding between each program." They provide an easy-to-administer fitness-level self-test in the form of a three-mile time trial (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), and they then define the key operative terms that make up the bulk of the actual training, including Tempo, HighSpin, PowerIntervals, Sprints, and Training Zone. A brief section of workbook-style pages provides readers with a user-friendly outline for the entire seven weeks.

Here is week 3 for an intermediate rider:

Monday: day off. Tuesday: 1 hour in zone 2 with 20 minutes Tempo on flat terrain. Wednesday: 30 minutes in zone 1; recovery ride. Thursday: 1 hour in zone 2 with 15 minutes Tempo on flat terrain. Friday: 45 minutes in zone 2 with 10 minutes HighSpin on flat terrain. Saturday: 1 hour in zone 2 with 15 minutes Tempo on flat terrain. Sunday: 1.5 hours in zone 2 with 30 minutes on hilly terrain.

Though clearly the focus, the performance program itself makes up less than a third of the book. Other subjects covered include cycling equipment, essential maintenance and repair, riding in bad weather, road hazards, mental toughness, and the pros' eating habits both on and off the bike, to name just a few. What the book is not is the story of Lance Armstrong's remarkable recovery from testicular cancer (see his autobiography, It's Not About the Bike, for that). Rather, Armstrong and Carmichael have produced a detail-packed training manual, sprinkled with photographs and tales of the racing life, for those who spend a large percentage of their time on two wheels--or dream of it. --Patrick Jennings

From Booklist
America's romance with Lance will undoubtedly soar with his second Tour de France victory and the success of his autobiography, It's Not about the Bike [BKL My 15 00]. Compared to other training guides, this covers the same basics with a straight-to-the-point style, bullet lists, and good organization. Just as people wanted to be like Mike, cyclists want to be like Lance. "What Would Lance Do?" sidebars provide anecdotal tips, but does it really matter if Lance likes to wear sport sunglasses to protect his eyes? It may be motivating to know his heart rates for time trials versus climbing, but does that really help someone training for a Century? Carmichael, Armstrong's coach for the past decade, offers helpful and useful tips in "Listen to the Coach" sidebars, and two chapters, "The Heart of Training" and "The 7-Week Success Plan," offer the best training advice for beginners to advanced cyclists. Readers who can't get enough of Lance will be drawn to the title, but the real draw is Carmichael's Training System, sure to inspire cyclists to peak performance--when tailored to individual abilities and goals. Brenda Barrera
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
A TRAINING PROGRAM SO SIMPLE, IT'S LIKE RIDING A BICYCLE...WITH THE BEST IN THE WORLD!

In 1999 the world watched spellbound as Lance Armstrong achieved one of the most dramatic comebacks in sports history, winning the grueling Tour de France just three years after being diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer. Lance's return road to glory took courage, determination, and a top-notch training program. Now Lance's winning strategies-- developed with coach Chris Carmichael-- can be yours, too! Whether you're a cycling novice or a competitive racer, The Lance Armstrong Training Program will teach you how to:

* find the right bike for your body
* know when to brake (only as a last resort!)
* corner, climb, and descend like a pro
* develop your explosive power to sprint
* incorporate cross-training into your schedule
* build necessary mental toughness...
* and much more!

Simple and focused, Lance's proven program will transform you into the rider you want to be-- in just seven weeks!


From the Back Cover
A TRAINING PROGRAM SO SIMPLE, IT'S LIKE RIDING A BICYCLE...WITH THE BEST IN THE WORLD!

In 1999 the world watched spellbound as Lance Armstrong achieved one of the most dramatic comebacks in sports history, winning the grueling Tour de France just three years after being diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer. Lance's return road to glory took courage, determination, and a top-notch training program. Now Lance's winning strategies-- developed with coach Chris Carmichael-- can be yours, too! Whether you're a cycling novice or a competitive racer, The Lance Armstrong Training Program will teach you how to:

* find the right bike for your body
* know when to brake (only as a last resort!)
* corner, climb, and descend like a pro
* develop your explosive power to sprint
* incorporate cross-training into your schedule
* build necessary mental toughness...
* and much more!

Simple and focused, Lance's proven program will transform you into the rider you want to be-- in just seven weeks!

About the Author
Lance Armstrong was ranked the #1 cyclist in the world in 1996. After his thrilling comeback victory at the1999 Tour de France, he was named the 1999 Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year and The Most Fascinating Person of 1999 by Barbara Walters.

Chris Carmichael has been Lance Armstrong's personal coach since the early 1990s. A former world-class cyclist, he was named the 1999 Coach of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee.

Peter Joffrey Nye is a cyclist and professional writer.


About the Author
Lance Armstrong was ranked the #1 cyclist in the world in 1996. After his thrilling comeback victory at the1999 Tour de France, he was named the 1999 Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year and The Most Fascinating Person of 1999 by Barbara Walters.

Chris Carmichael has been Lance Armstrong's personal coach since the early 1990s. A former world-class cyclist, he was named the 1999 Coach of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee.

Peter Joffrey Nye is a cyclist and professional writer.


Excerpted from The Lance Armstrong Performance Program : The Training, Strengthening, and Eating Plan Behind the World's Greatest Cycling Victory by Lance Armstrong, Chris Carmichael, Peter Nye. Copyright © 2000. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Introduction I discovered cycling as a youngster growing up around Dallas. Too young and too small to drive a car, I could still go anywhere I wanted for miles and explore new places on a bicycle. I delighted in the thrill of sharp acceleration downhill, felt the wind in my face, rejoiced at the force on my arms and body from leaning around corners at speed, and thrived on the euphoric sensation that a good workout and honest sweat delivers. I loved riding in the countryside, past fields of bluebells, and smelling the flowers, or ozone in the air before the rain fell. Perhaps the greatest appeal came from exerting control over how fast and where I could go. As a Texan, I tried playing football, but it wasn't for me. For several years, I swam competitively, and ran track and cross-country. From there, it was a short step to competing in triathlons. But what I really loved was cycling, and I quickly connected with bicycle road racing. I liked the sense of friendship and community that comes from riding with others. Every bicycle racer, from Category 5 entry level up, dreams of winning the Tour de France. Recreational cyclists have dreams, too, such as completing a challenge ride like a century or the Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Meeting my coach, Chris Carmichael, in 1990, when I had more ambition than skills, started me on the road to success. He helped me realize my dream f actually winning the Tour de France. Chris, who is wise as a tree full of owls, impressed upon me the value of patience. I had to learn the principles of training, sharpen essential skills (from pedaling more efficiently to shifting and braking), and master techniques such as cornering and sprinting. These all take time to become second nature. How much time? Well, that depends on as many factors as there are individuals. Overall, there is no quick fix. Popular TV infomercials promise great results with 15-minute workouts just three times a week. In reality, it takes commitment and motivation. Throughout the 1990s, except for the year I took off to recover from cancer, I worked full-time at cycling. Yet I had entered the Tour four times between 1993 and 1996, and finished only once. You could say that it took me a decade to win the 3-week 1999 Tour. Early in my career, many "cycling experts" had typecast me as a 1-day racer. They said I would never win a major multiday race like the Tour de France. My victory supports the belief that anything is possible if you are willing to stick to your dream and keep trying. Realizing a dream, such as mine of winning the Tour, takes patience. Given time and persistent application, we can all improve. That is what Chris told me back in 1990- and he still tells me that. He says the program is not so much winning as riding better now than before. Of course, learning how to train and improving my skill shave made my cycling safer and more enjoyable. Everything in this book is based on my experience, and is meant to help not only elite riders but casual cyclists as well. I still love to go for a spin under the open sky, smell the flowers, hear the birds, and feel the wind on my face. So come on, get your bike and join me for a ride. Lance Armstrong

FROM OUR EDITORS

How did Lance Armstrong transform himself from a victim of a seemingly terminal illness into the winner of the two successive Tour de France races? Needless to say, all of the answers to that question can't be compressed into a single book or a training regimen. But The Lance Armstrong Performance Program claims only to present the practical nutritional guidelines and specific training techniques that helped enable the Austin-based cyclist to peddle his way to the front; advice that America's twenty five million bicyclists might appreciate.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Lance Armstrong is peerless in the cycling world. A two-time Olympian, he has won two U.S. Championships and a World Championship. His comeback from advanced testicular cancer and a victory at the 1999 Tour de France earned him national media recognition on programs such as Good Morning America, Today, and the Late Show with David Letterman- and Barbara Walters named him "Most Fascinating Person of 1999." Lance's coach, Chris Carmichael, has been training him since the early 1990s and was named the 1999 Coach of the Year by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The training plan developed by this invincible team is revealed in The Lance Armstrong Performance Program. In clear, personal language, the book explains how any rider can apply the principles to their own riding. The seven-week success formula, designed by Carmichael specifically for Lance, will allow riders of every experience level to achieve peak performance. Complete with Lance's racing anecdotes, his optimum performance diet, and illustrative photographs, this program will help America's 24.9 million cyclists achieve any riding goal.

SYNOPSIS