As we know now, his victories were aided by a variety of performance-enhancing drugs.
But Armstrong didn't act alone, and it was, darkly so, a true team effort. A calculating tactician, Armstrong handpicked teammates carefully, and together they represented sport's most dominant team. An indelible image from the era was that of the US Postal Service's "Blue Train" setting a blistering pace at the front of the peloton, one that for years no one could match, let alone beat.
More than a decade later, many of the key riders who served under Armstrong's tainted reign are still involved in the sport.