
Cycle of Lies
The Fall of Lance Armstrong
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $26.13
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Carrington Macduffie
-
By:
-
Juliet Macur
About this listen
A fly-on-the-wall account of the Lance Armstrong doping scandal – the greatest drama in modern sporting history by the New York Times cycling correspondent.
As Lance Armstrong’s precipitous fall from grace continues, New York Times sports reporter Juliet Macur takes the reader behind the scenes to bring you the astonishing twists and turns of an outrage that has rocked the world of cycling.
With unprecedented access to the key players in the drama – from Armstrong’s fellow cyclists and top cycling officials to doctors, trainers and wives – ‘Cycle of Lies’ reveals how Armstrong built a fortress of people around him to protect his image and upend the lives of anybody who stood in his way.
As America’s fallen idol faces potential perjury charges, ‘Cycle of Lies’ widens the focus to expose corruption at all levels of the sport in a thrilling work of contemporary narrative history.
©2014 Juliet Macur (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Secret Race
- Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs
- By: Tyler Hamilton, Daniel Coyle
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is an explosive book that takes us, for the first time, deep inside a shadowy, fascinating, and surreal world of unscrupulous doctors, anything-goes team directors, and athletes so relentlessly driven to succeed that they would do anything—and take any risk, physical, mental, or moral—to gain the edge they needed to win. The Secret Race is a riveting, courageous act of witness from a man who is as determined to reveal the hard truth about his sport as he once was to win the Tour de France.
-
-
Gripping and fascinating
- By Alan on 09-09-12
By: Tyler Hamilton, and others
-
Wheelmen
- Lance Armstrong, the Tour de France, and the Greatest Sports Conspiracy Ever
- By: Reed Albergotti, Vanessa O'Connell
- Narrated by: Santino Fontana
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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."
-
-
Detailed and balanced account
- By Gabriel on 11-19-13
By: Reed Albergotti, and others
-
Jan Ullrich
- The Best There Never Was
- By: Daniel Friebe
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1997, Jan Ullrich announced himself to the world by obliterating his rivals in the first mountain stage of the Tour de France. So awesome was his display that it sent shockwaves throughout the world of cycling and invited headlines such as L’Équipe’s ‘The New Giant’. He went on to become Germany’s first ever Tour winner, storming to victory in that edition by almost 10 minutes, a result that was greeted as an era-defining changing of the guard. Everyone agreed: Jan Ullrich was the future of cycling.
-
-
Great account and valuable insights of a (sport) hero and his era
- By Louis M. on 07-27-23
By: Daniel Friebe
-
The Comeback
- Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France
- By: Daniel de Vise
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Greg LeMond stunned the sporting world by becoming the first American to win the Tour de France in 1986, defeating French cycling legend Bernard Hinault. Nine months later, LeMond lay in a hospital bed, his career as a bicycle racer seemingly over. And yet, barely two years after this crisis, LeMond mounted a comeback. In 1989, he once again won the Tour - by a narrow margin of eight seconds. It remains the closest Tour de France in history. The Comeback chronicles the life of this great American athlete, from his roots in Nevada and California to the heights of global fame.
-
-
Good book. Flawed reading.
- By david savage on 07-23-18
By: Daniel de Vise
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Going Infinite
- The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
- By: Michael Lewis
- Narrated by: Michael Lewis
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side?
-
-
really expected more rigor from Michael Lewis
- By Wowhello on 10-04-23
By: Michael Lewis
-
The Secret Race
- Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs
- By: Tyler Hamilton, Daniel Coyle
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is an explosive book that takes us, for the first time, deep inside a shadowy, fascinating, and surreal world of unscrupulous doctors, anything-goes team directors, and athletes so relentlessly driven to succeed that they would do anything—and take any risk, physical, mental, or moral—to gain the edge they needed to win. The Secret Race is a riveting, courageous act of witness from a man who is as determined to reveal the hard truth about his sport as he once was to win the Tour de France.
-
-
Gripping and fascinating
- By Alan on 09-09-12
By: Tyler Hamilton, and others
-
Wheelmen
- Lance Armstrong, the Tour de France, and the Greatest Sports Conspiracy Ever
- By: Reed Albergotti, Vanessa O'Connell
- Narrated by: Santino Fontana
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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."
-
-
Detailed and balanced account
- By Gabriel on 11-19-13
By: Reed Albergotti, and others
-
Jan Ullrich
- The Best There Never Was
- By: Daniel Friebe
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1997, Jan Ullrich announced himself to the world by obliterating his rivals in the first mountain stage of the Tour de France. So awesome was his display that it sent shockwaves throughout the world of cycling and invited headlines such as L’Équipe’s ‘The New Giant’. He went on to become Germany’s first ever Tour winner, storming to victory in that edition by almost 10 minutes, a result that was greeted as an era-defining changing of the guard. Everyone agreed: Jan Ullrich was the future of cycling.
-
-
Great account and valuable insights of a (sport) hero and his era
- By Louis M. on 07-27-23
By: Daniel Friebe
-
The Comeback
- Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France
- By: Daniel de Vise
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Greg LeMond stunned the sporting world by becoming the first American to win the Tour de France in 1986, defeating French cycling legend Bernard Hinault. Nine months later, LeMond lay in a hospital bed, his career as a bicycle racer seemingly over. And yet, barely two years after this crisis, LeMond mounted a comeback. In 1989, he once again won the Tour - by a narrow margin of eight seconds. It remains the closest Tour de France in history. The Comeback chronicles the life of this great American athlete, from his roots in Nevada and California to the heights of global fame.
-
-
Good book. Flawed reading.
- By david savage on 07-23-18
By: Daniel de Vise
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Going Infinite
- The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
- By: Michael Lewis
- Narrated by: Michael Lewis
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side?
-
-
really expected more rigor from Michael Lewis
- By Wowhello on 10-04-23
By: Michael Lewis
-
Born to Run
- A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
- By: Christopher McDougall
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit.
-
-
Amazing read - even for non-runners
- By Corey on 05-31-09
-
One-Way Ticket
- Nine Lives on Two Wheels
- By: Jonathan Vaughters, Jeremy Whittle - contributor
- Narrated by: Jonathan Vaughters
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jonathan Vaughters' story is the story of modern cycling. From his early years as a keen cyclist in his hometown in Colorado to his unflinching rite of passage as a professional rider with US Postal to his elevation as one of cycling's most resilient, ethical, and intelligent team bosses, the highs and lows of his career have mirrored those of the sport itself.
-
-
Excruciating Listen
- By Brian I. on 09-15-19
By: Jonathan Vaughters, and others
-
Number Go Up
- Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall
- By: Zeke Faux
- Narrated by: Dan Bittner
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2021 cryptocurrency went mainstream. Giant investment funds were buying it, celebrities like Tom Brady endorsed it, and TV ads hailed it as the future of money. Hardly anyone knew how it worked—but why bother with the particulars when everyone was making a fortune from Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, or some other bizarrely named “digital asset”? As he observed this frenzy, investigative reporter Zeke Faux had a nagging question: Was it all just a confidence game of epic proportions? What started as curiosity—with a dash of FOMO—would morph into a two-year globe-spanning quest.
-
-
Phenomenal story
- By Michael on 10-05-23
By: Zeke Faux
-
Win at All Costs
- Inside Nike Running and Its Culture of Deception
- By: Matt Hart
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In May 2017, journalist Matt Hart received a USB drive containing a single file—a 4.7-megabyte PDF named “Tic Toc, Tic Toc. . . .” He quickly realized he was in possession of a stolen report prepared a year earlier by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, part of an investigation into legendary running coach Alberto Salazar, an endocrinologist named Dr. Jeffrey Brown, and cheating by Nike-sponsored runners. Combining sports drama and business exposé, Win at All Costs tells the full story of Nike’s running program, uncovering a corporate win-at-all-costs culture.
-
-
Nicely done
- By Pete Sakalowsky on 09-23-21
By: Matt Hart
-
A Life Without Limits
- By: Chrissie Wellington, Michael Aylwin
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The amazing life story of Britain's world conquering triathlete, Chrissie Wellington. Chrissie Wellington is the world's No 1 female Ironman triathlete, the current quadruple World Champion and World Record holder. In 2009 she was voted 'Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year' and in 2010 was awarded the MBE. She is the undefeated champion of Triathlon, having won nine Ironman titles from nine races.
-
-
I just can't take it anymore!!
- By Terry B. on 06-16-16
By: Chrissie Wellington, and others
-
The Midlife Cyclist
- The Road Map for the +40 Rider Who Wants to Train Hard, Ride Fast and Stay Healthy
- By: Phil Cavell
- Narrated by: Phil Cavell
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Renowned cycling biomechanics pioneer Phil Cavell explores the growing trend of middle-aged and older cyclists seeking to achieve high-level performance. Using contributions from leading coaches, ex-professionals and pro-team doctors, he produces the ultimate manifesto for mature riders who want to stay healthy, avoid injury - and maximise their achievement levels.
-
-
Exceptionally well put together.
- By Anonymous User on 07-25-23
By: Phil Cavell
-
Tiger Woods
- By: Jeff Benedict, Armen Keteyian
- Narrated by: Roger Casey
- Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2009, Tiger Woods was the most famous athlete on the planet, a transcendent star of almost unfathomable fame and fortune living what appeared to be the perfect life - married to a Swedish beauty and the father of two young children. Winner of 14 major golf championships and 79 PGA Tour events, Woods was the first billion-dollar athlete, earning more than $100 million a year in endorsements from the likes of Nike, Gillette, AT&T, and Gatorade. But it was all a carefully crafted illusion. As it turned out, Woods had been living a double life for years.
-
-
Schadenfreude For Non-Fans
- By Dubi on 02-16-19
By: Jeff Benedict, and others
-
Open
- An Autobiography
- By: Andre Agassi
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
-
-
Just an Incredible Story!
- By Patrick on 12-13-09
By: Andre Agassi
-
The Longest Race
- Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team
- By: Kara Goucher, Mary Pilon
- Narrated by: Kara Goucher, Mary Pilon
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kara Goucher grew up with Olympic dreams. She excelled at running from a young age and was offered a Nike sponsorship deal when she graduated from college. Then in 2004, she was invited to join a secretive, lavishly funded new team, dubbed the Nike Oregon Project. Coached by distance running legend Alberto Salazar, it seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime. Kara was soon winning a World Championship medal, going to the Olympics, and standing on the podium at the New York and Boston marathons, just like her coach. But behind the scenes, Salazar was hiding dark secrets.
-
-
I won’t be purchasing any more Nike products:
- By Peter on 12-03-23
By: Kara Goucher, and others
-
The Monuments (2nd Edition)
- The Grit and the Glory of Cycling's Greatest One-Day Races
- By: Peter Cossins
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Priestley
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Tour de France may provide the most obvious fame and glory, but it is cycling’s one-day tests that the professional riders really prize. Toughest, longest and dirtiest of all are the so-called ‘Monuments’, the five legendary races that are the sport’s equivalent of golf’s majors or the grand slams in tennis. Milan–Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix, Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the Tour of Lombardy date back more than a century, and each of them is an anomaly in modern-day sport. Peter Cossins tells the history of these extraordinary races and the riders they have immortalised.
By: Peter Cossins
-
Draft Animals
- Living the Pro Cycling Dream (Once in a While)
- By: Phil Gaimon
- Narrated by: Phil Gaimon
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Like countless other kids, Phil Gaimon grew up dreaming of being a professional athlete. But unlike countless other kids, he actually pulled it off. After years of amateur races, hard training, living out of a suitcase, and never taking "no" for an answer, he finally achieved his goal and signed a contract to race professionally on one of the best teams in the world. Now, Gaimon pulls back the curtain on the WorldTour, cycling's highest level.
-
-
I’m a fan!
- By Terry on 12-04-17
By: Phil Gaimon
-
Shut Up, Legs!
- My Wild Ride on and off the Bike
- By: Jens Voigt, James Startt
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beloved German cyclist Jens Voigt isn't a superstar in the traditional sense of the word. Although he won three stages of the Tour de France - and wore the yellow jersey twice - Voigt never claimed an overall victory. He became a star because he embodies qualities that go beyond winning and losing: sacrifice, selflessness, reliability, and devotion. European and American crowds were drawn to his aggressive riding style, outgoing nature, and refreshing realness.
-
-
Unlike Jensie, the performance lacks
- By Brian Muncy on 03-12-19
By: Jens Voigt, and others
Critic reviews
‘Riveting … Why did he do it?” is clearly the first question begging for an answer. And “How did he get away with it for so long?” is another. Macur investigates both exhaustively and the result is a tale right out of ancient Greece – the demi-god with the fatal flaw’ Toronto Star
‘Macur is a fine writer and a tireless reporter’ Observer
‘Her well-researched book pays testimony to the determination of a large group of people, those used and cast aside by Armstrong, who found the courage to stand up to the bully … That he was still arrogant enough to try to get her to change the title of ‘Cycle of Lies’ speaks volumes for his self-centred nature and Macur’s determination as a journalist to stick with what she believed to be the truth’ Eastern Daily Press
‘Macur offers plenty that is new and is capable of holding your interest … Compared with the other recent Armstrong books – ‘The Secret Race’, ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ and ‘Wheelmen’ – ‘Cycle of Lies’ is the one to read if you want the whole story nailed in a clear and concise narrative … But it is also a book that can be quite subtle at times and contains moments of beauty … a rewarding read’ Podium Cafe