About this item
The first in-depth look at Lance Armstrong's doping scandal, the phenomenal business success built on the back of fraud, and the greatest conspiracy in the history of sports Lance Armstrong won a record-smashing seven Tours de France after staring down cancer, and in the process became an international symbol of resilience and courage. In a sport constantly dogged by blood-doping scandals, he seemed above the fray. Then, in January 2013, the legend imploded. He admitted doping during the Tours and, in an interview with Oprah, described his "mythic, perfect story" as "one big lie." But his admission raised more questions than it answered—because he didn’t say who had helped him dope or how he skillfully avoided getting caught.
About the Author
Reed Albergotti has worked at The Wall Street Journal for more than a decade, covering sports and legal issues.
In May 2010, Albergotti uncovered emails sent to cycling officials and sponsors by a former teammate of Lance Armstrong's that revealed the complex doping program on the U.S. Postal Service cycling team. He broke the news about the shocking emails in a story, which he wrote with his colleague Vanessa O'Connell, that sent shockwaves around the sports world and led to a two-year federal investigation. Albergotti and O'Connell received a National Headliner Award and a New York Press Club award for their coverage of the doping scandal.
Albergotti's in-depth story about the troubled Cincinnati Bengals stadium deal led to changes in the Los Angeles City Council's own stadium negotiations. His investigative piece on a former Penn State administrator's clashes with football coach Joe Paterno shed light on the child molestation scandal that rocked the school. Albergotti also wrote about secret video footage the NFL doesn't want its fans to see, which led the NFL to change its policy and offer the footage to its fans.
While reporting on the Vancouver Olympics, Albergotti wrote an investigative piece about the luge track accident that killed Georgian athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili. Albergotti was the first to reveal how the construction of the luge track there was driven by commercial interests at the expense of safety, ultimately leading to the Kumaritashvili's death.
Albergotti's other scoops include uncovering a video recording - hidden for 25 years - showing the First ever slam dunk in a women's college basketball game. In 2009, he broke the news of a secret deal in 2007 between Woods and the National Enquirer that made it possible for Woods to protect his image by suppressing exposure of his infidelity. That story was the top read piece on WSJ.com for more than a week.
Albergotti also discovered the NFL's first and only vegan, a wide receiver who catches with his eyes closed and a Wall Street Banker who started riding a bike for fun and became a pro. He has produced several popular online videos. His series "The Olympics: How Hard Can it Be? " was shown in national TV broadcasts and at NHL games.
Born in Minneapolis, Albergotti graduated from San Diego State University, where he was a reporter, humor columnist and editor for The Daily Aztec and a member of the school's NCAA Div II hockey team.
He is an accomplished amateur cyclist who races at the Category 2 level in New York City. He relocated to San Francisco in October 2013 to cover Facebook and the Silicon Valley tech scene.
