edonline
07-26-2005, 01:22 PM
http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,12589,1536355,00.html
Damon gears up for cycling champion biopic
Staff and agencies
Tuesday July 26, 2005
Guardian Unlimited
Matt Damon is in talks to star in a film about the life of seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, according to US reports.
Sports channel ESPN 2 reported the Oscar-winning actor was Armstrong's own preferred choice to play him in the long-proposed movie, which is expected to be based on Armstrong's biography It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life.
According to US film site Ain't It Cool News, Damon is a biking enthusiast and more than keen to get in shape for what would be a physically demanding role.
Armstrong discovered that he had testicular cancer, which had spread to his brain and lungs, in 1996. After surgery and aggressive chemotherapy he returned to cycling in 1997 and two years later won his first Tour de France, as the lead rider of the US Postal Service team. He then repeated his victory for a record-breaking five years in a row before winning for a seventh and final time earlier this month.
Armstrong's harrowing account of discovering and beating cancer, which was cowritten by Sally Jenkins, won the William Hill sports book of the year award in 2000 and a sequel, Every Second Counts, was published in 2003.
Damon gears up for cycling champion biopic
Staff and agencies
Tuesday July 26, 2005
Guardian Unlimited
Matt Damon is in talks to star in a film about the life of seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, according to US reports.
Sports channel ESPN 2 reported the Oscar-winning actor was Armstrong's own preferred choice to play him in the long-proposed movie, which is expected to be based on Armstrong's biography It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life.
According to US film site Ain't It Cool News, Damon is a biking enthusiast and more than keen to get in shape for what would be a physically demanding role.
Armstrong discovered that he had testicular cancer, which had spread to his brain and lungs, in 1996. After surgery and aggressive chemotherapy he returned to cycling in 1997 and two years later won his first Tour de France, as the lead rider of the US Postal Service team. He then repeated his victory for a record-breaking five years in a row before winning for a seventh and final time earlier this month.
Armstrong's harrowing account of discovering and beating cancer, which was cowritten by Sally Jenkins, won the William Hill sports book of the year award in 2000 and a sequel, Every Second Counts, was published in 2003.