Jake Gyllenhaal to Play Lance Armstrong

The star of Donnie Darko, Brokeback Mountain and Jarhead, among others, accepted the role after Matt Damon turned the offer down because he was too busy.

Gyllenhaal and Armstrong have already been cycling together as part of the actor’s research.  It will also be important for Gyllenhaal to be at his fittest to play the man who won the Tour de France seven times.

Filming for the biography will begin in 2007.