Originally Posted by DieselDan
Lance has never worn the Stars and Stripes as the USPRO champion.
With all due respect Dan, Lance won the USPRO Championships in 1993. That was the third leg of the Thrift Drug Triple Crown. Thrift Drug was offering a $1 million bonus to any rider who captured all three races in a series, culminating with the USPRO Championships. Lance won the first two races, and as such, was the only one elligible to win the million dollar prize. Despite being heavily marked, Lance rode away from a 4 man breakaway to win solo and claim the $1 million prize. It was compared to announcing that you were going to rob a bank the next day at 8 am, and still pulling it off any way. Keep in mind this was during his very first full season as a pro! (After the '92 Olympics, Lance had ridden as a pro for Motorola for a few months at the end of the season.)
That same year, Lance went on to win a stage of the Tour de France at the age of 21 (?), during his first attempt at the race. The photo of him making his victory salute while wearing the National Champion's jersey always reminded me of an Ed Grimley pose (from Saturday Night Live). I think it was the 8th stage, finishing in Verdun. Lance followed up by winning the World Championship Road Race ahead of Miguel Indurain. Not bad for a rookie debut season!
