Episode 471: Lance Armstrong: The Real Doping Story, $100M Loss, and His Venture Capital Comeback

29 July 2025 · 1h 9m

Habits and Hustle

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What does it take to survive a 20% chance of living, win seven Tour de France titles, and rebuild your life after losing everything? Lance Armstrong joins me on the Habits and Hustle podcast for a raw, unfiltered conversation about resilience, authenticity, and the mindset that refuses to quit.

We discuss the grueling reality of the Tour de France and why he says the doping controversy was not anti-doping failure. We also dive into his current ventures with Next Ventures, his "We Do Hard Things" podcast, and the personality traits that his kids say define him most.

Lance Armstrong is a cancer survivor, former professional cyclist, and co-founder of Next Ventures. He won the Tour de France seven consecutive times. Today, he's a successful venture capitalist investing in health and wellness companies and has built a new life focused on family, business, and doing only what brings him joy.

What We Discuss:

(08:11) Getting Tested at 15 and Discovering Elite VO2 Max Numbers

(15:44) The Doping Controversy: "Technically I Didn't Get Caught"

(17:23) Why He Thinks He Was Made a Poster Child

(22:27) Getting Cancer at 25 with Only a 20% Chance of Survival

(36:18) The Livestrong Foundation and Selling 82 Million Yellow Bands

(42:04) His Love of Being Alone and Sacred Solo Bike Rides

(59:54) Having to Pay Back Over $100 Million After the Scandal

(1:02:37) How Uber Investment Through Lowercase Capital Saved His Family

(1:06:09) The Netflix 30 for 30 Documentary and Public Perception Shift

…and more!

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