Lance Armstrong Flashes Disgraced Yellow Jersey Collection in Bold Beer Ad…..
In a move that has reignited debate over sportsmanship, redemption, and the commercialization of scandal, Lance Armstrong has stepped back into the spotlight—this time not on a bike, but in a cheeky beer advertisement. The controversial cycling legend appears in a new campaign for a Texas-based craft brewery, “Gravel & Grit,” where he boldly flashes his once-revered, now-infamous yellow Tour de France jerseys.
The 60-second spot opens with Armstrong lounging in a garage-turned-man-cave, walls plastered with cycling memorabilia, including seven yellow jerseys, each bearing the dates of his now-vacated Tour victories. With a grin and a wink, he cracks open a cold can of Gravel & Grit’s “Redemption Ale” and toasts to “lessons learned the hard way.”
The ad, already trending across social media platforms, features Armstrong narrating with self-deprecating charm: “I took a ride I’ll never forget. And yeah, I took some wrong turns. But here’s to owning it—and moving forward.”
Predictably, the response has been divisive. Some viewers have applauded the boldness of both Armstrong and the brand for confronting the past head-on. “We all make mistakes. It’s what you do afterward that defines you,” said one YouTube commenter. Others, particularly in the cycling world, see the ad as tone-deaf and offensive to athletes who lost opportunities during Armstrong’s era of dominance fueled by performance-enhancing drugs.
“Those jerseys don’t represent achievement—they represent deception,” said former pro cyclist David Millar, himself a reformed doper and advocate for clean sport. “Using them as props in a beer ad feels like a slap in the face to those of us who tried to clean up the sport.”
Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles in 2012 after a damning USADA investigation, has had a complex post-scandal career. His podcast “The Move” has earned a loyal audience, and his public appearances often straddle the line between contrition and provocation. This ad seems to lean into the latter, embracing the notoriety rather than shying away from it.
Gravel & Grit’s co-founder, Dana Wilkes, defended the campaign, saying, “We believe in second chances. Our brand is about resilience, grit, and starting fresh. Lance embodies that, whether you agree with his past or not.”
The ad ends with Armstrong standing in front of his jerseys, beer in hand, declaring, “You can’t change the past. But you can toast to what comes next.” It’s a message that resonates with some and rankles others.
For better or worse, the spot proves that Armstrong still knows how to grab headlines—and polarize opinions. Whether this is a sincere step in his long road to redemption or just another calculated PR move, one thing is certain: Lance Armstrong and his yellow jerseys are back in the conversation. And this time, it’s not just about cycling—it’s about selling beer, controversy and all.
