Lance has joined an illustrious band of superstars whom fans instantly recognise by just one word
The Babe. Michael. Ali. Tiger. Martina. Pele. He is a one-name phenomenon now, his celebrity needing no family name.
Even in America, where drivers of massive vehicles get all nervous when they see a bicycle legally sharing the road with them, people know one cyclist by his first name. Lance.
It helps that his last name is robust and legendary-sounding, the heritage of a stepfather he came to detest. This personal fury is part of his legacy of motivation. Lance Armstrong.
He showed Jordanesque vengeance on Friday when he chased down a cyclist who had crossed him. And on Saturday, Lance showed Ruthian dominance in acing the time trial to win his fifth stage of the Tour.
In this age of worldwide television and internet and sponsorships, even Americans know Armstrong, partly because he was given barely a 40 per cent chance of surviving testicular cancer. They know him for his foundation and his commercials to fight cancer.