Tyler Hamilton

Tyler Hamilton is one of the greatest ever American cyclists, but one whose career was marred in its later stages by doping allegations. Hamilton turned professional in 1995 and rode for the US Postal Service team from 1998-2000 as a lieutenant for Lance Armstrong. But he left US Postal in 2001 and became a top professional in his own right.

Hamilton’s best known victory was a 2004 Olympic gold medal in the individual time trial, but it was marred by a doping test that had a positive A sample. But the B sample had been frozen and could not be tested so Hamilton did not have a doping violation and initially kept his gold medal. He was later implicated in the Operación Puerto scandal and was suspended after a doping positive at the 2004 Vuelta à España. His Olympic gold medal was eventually stripped. Hamilton came back in 2008 to win the US National Championship, but in 2009 had a doping positive for DHEA and an anti-depressant, and subsequently retired. His major victories also included Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2003, Dauphiné-Libéré in 2000, and the Tour of Romandie in 2003-04. He also won one stage each at all three of the grand tours, and placed second in the Giro d’Italia in 2002.