Tour de France - Armstrong ready to sign off in style
Reuters - Wed, 30 Jun 02:35:00 2010
It has been a rocky road leading to the Tour de France but seven-time winner Lance Armstrong is ready to sign off in style in his beloved race.
The 38-year-old American claimed third place overall in his comeback year in 2009 and he seems ready for a last challenge on the Tour despite a crash and more doping allegations against him.
A man to shine in adversity, cancer survivor Armstrong has had plenty of difficulties this season, possibly his last as a full-time professional rider.
One problem the Texan has had to face is the time spent away from his family. A father of four, soon to be five, Armstrong has been missing his girlfriend and children, trying to see them as often as possible in his busy schedule.
Whether he continues to ride another season is anyone's guess but Armstrong will not be seen on the French roads in July after this year's Tour.
"This will be (my) final Tour de France. It's been a great ride. Looking forward to three great weeks," he said on Twitter this week.
His long-time friend and mentor Johan Bruyneel said during a disrupted spring that Armstrong needed a training routine and racing days after missing the Milan-San Remo classic and the Circuit de la Sarthe because of stomach upsets.
It all seemed to get better when the American lined up for the Tour of California in May but, on the very day his former U.S. Postal team mate Floyd Landis accused him of doping, Armstrong crashed after a few kilometres of the fifth stage, sustaining an elbow injury and a cut under his left eye.
Armstrong, who came under fire after French daily L'Equipe reported in 2005 that he had used EPO in his first Tour triumph six years earlier, denied the Landis allegations.
"It's our word against his word. I like our word. We like our credibility. Floyd lost his credibility a long time ago," Armstrong, who has never tested positive in his career, said at the time.
SOFTENED UP
Often seen as arrogant, Armstrong has softened up since winning his last Tour in 2005. His 2009 campaign, after more than three years in retirement, was a success in terms of image.
Bracelets and T-shirts linked to his Livestrong charity were all over the place on the race and the most successful Tour rider even succeeded in gaining long overdue popularity with the French public.
Armstrong followed up nicely in the Criterium International in Corsica where he got a warm reception from the French crowd.
That, however, was before the Landis allegations. In Luxembourg earlier this month, Armstrong was booed by a spectator who called him a "cheat" and a "liar".
The American went to a security fence and barked three times at the spectator: "Come and do that to my face."
Although Bruyneel said Alberto Contador, who was part of last year's Astana team with Armstrong, was the overwhelming favourite to retain his crown, both the Belgian and the American believe an upset is possible.
"I would not be here in Adelaide if I did not think I could win the Tour de France," Armstrong told Reuters at the Tour Down Under at the beginning of the season.
"The continuation of my career will depend on my performance on the Tour."
After the California crash and the Landis saga, Armstrong made up for lost time at the low-key Tour of Luxembourg.
Now his own boss after launching his RadioShack outfit this season, the Texan rode strongly in the duchy, finishing third overall.
Was it enough to give him the appetite for an extra season even without the Tour ?
"I have not decided yet. That's the biggest factor, the time away, but I have not decided yet. As soon as I decide I'm going to say," he said at the Tour of Luxembourg.
"I have options. It's full schedule or there's nothing, full retirement. Or there's a hybrid: it could be a mix of the two as well."
No half measures will be allowed on the Tour, however, and Armstrong knows that well.
He stepped up a gear at the Tour of Switzerland, finishing second overall after keeping up with the best in the mountains, a clear indication that he will be fully fit when the Tour starts with an 8.9-km prologue in Rotterdam on Saturday.
"Third in Luxembourg, second in Switzerland, I'll do the math for the next race," he said.
"All I have to do now is stay healthy and find that extra one per cent. This race (in Switzerland) attracted all sorts of favourites and it's a good indication of what's coming up."
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Comment 17 - 36 of 36
My Take: "defending innocent cyclists that you trash on your forums here"
I don't think anything I've said is particularly controversial - brilliant though he has been, as good as he has been for cycling's popularity etc, the fact is LA has behaved like a complete and utter t**t at times to his team mates (Contador) and other members of the peloton, and it has left a sour taste in many many mouths.
As for the stuff about LA having taken drugs, I'm totally in the innocent until proven camp so you can't accuse me of bashing an innocent rider on that front...!
MyTakeOnTheSubject you seem to have mistaken yourself as someone who can dictate what other people can and cant post .... Chill out, put your Livestrong Radars on and go out for a ride
#31 Chichoso - you may not use that word, but it is definite that you understand the meaning of it by your post.
#32 fotodelicto - Yep. That's me, the "ugly American," as you call me, defending innocent cyclists that you trash on your forums here. Sorry, but I won't be at the TdF this year - perhaps next year we can meet and you can buy me a beer.
One last comment on the LA subject - i posted this last summer too - don't the Kool Aid drinkers find it incredible that a rider who won the TdF 7 times and runs an international cancer charity can stir up such negative feelings? I know you all think it's down to jealousy, but maybe you need to investigate things to understand why he is so divisive (in a way that few other riders have ever been barring a drugs issue) before bestowing Sainthood on LA or any athlete.
Chad #17 - read my post before you criticise. I said early 2000s. 2006, 2007 and 2008 do not count as early 2000s.
Why don't you look at the challengers in 2000 - 2002 and let me know where the quality was. Ullrich? Fat and out of form playboy who could have challenged had he anything like Armstrong's will and focus. Beloki? He probbaly wouldn't even be the 4th best Spanish rider in the last couple of years with Contador, Valverde, Sanchez etc.
From 2003 onwards with Basso, Vino etc the competition got tougher, but 2000 - 2002 was laughably poor competition.
MyTakeOnTheSubject - No doubt you will be representing the "ugly American" overseas stereotype this summer in France.
Hey, MyTakeOnTheSubject, we don't use words like "jerk" in Britain. Please go back to your country.
To #10, Martin -
When you have unequivocal proof that your statement, "the drugs Merckx and his peers may have took were not even in the same league or anywhere near as sophisticated as the one Armstrong and his peers took," is true, you can write that all you want. But until then, keep your arrogant and slanderous @#$% off the posts, jerk.
To #14, fotodelicto -
I'll say it again. You're an @#$%. Anyone who can ride 2200 miles in 3 weeks in a competitive race is a true athlete. You write this @#$% before your feeble brain can comprehend what is bouncing around in that empty noggin of yours.
To #22, fanrafa -
Your mom's calling - time to get off the computer.
Tom and Martin---- those are some great stats you put together on Merckx and Hinault there is just one problem with your comparison they are not riding this year.
Whether you like him or not....
Lance Armstrong is an amazing cyclist and has done a huge amount for focus on his cause LIVESTRONG.
I personally think cycling will be a quieter place without him, and he will be missed.
Contador will win but a strong showing from Armstrong will cement his name in cycling history.
Correcting my previous post: Merckx's run of winning all three Grand Tours in succession was 1972-73. (I forgot that the Vuelta was first in that era, held in late April.) He actually doubled up the Giro to make it 4 GT's in a row.
Bernard Hinault held all three titles as well 1982-83. Think there are the only two to do this.
Numbers, statistics, dog-eat-dog.....we all knows google and wikipedia, so thanks but no thanks. Why wasting time listing all that facts?-To prove knowledge about the sport? Prety dumb thing to do. This article is crap, summarizing already 100 times repeated stuf. He wants the 8th title-he will fight for it with any means-if he succeed-OK, if he doesn't-OK. I think that he will end his career just like BigMig-sick and tired and he will back next years to come with Contador in his team.
Nice Martin, but you forgot the hour record he held from 1972 until 1984. There was also the "Merckx slam" when he held all three Gran Tour titles simulateously (Vuelta-73, Giro-74 & Tour-74) He also won 17 6-days track races. (but I doubt most of the LA's devotees know what those are). It's worth breaking out his 28 (most ever) classics victories to point out he won Paris-Roubaix 3 times, Milan-San Remo 7 times, and won every Classic at least once except for Paris-Tours. (only one rider, Rik van Looy, has won them all).
Lance was/ is great. Eddie rules.
Eddy Merckx 34 stage wins, 111 days in yellow, 3 green jerseys, 2 polka dot jerseys, won all 3 jerseys in same tour (would have been 4 if white was available), 11 GT victories, 3 giro-tour doubles, 3 Worlds, 28 classics & most careers victories ever ... yes the results really do speak for themselves !
the jjuunnkkie has to retire because he can't find a clean spot to inject drugs in his arms....
The pressure is on AC to win this race. LA is actually quite the underdog -- I think it will be a very sucecssful Tour for him if he reaches the final podium. I love LA and wish him the best -- watching those 7 Tours with him was exciting, and he delivered every time even though he was the defacto favorite with all the pressure.
Given the extreme hardship of the climbing this year, I think the main competitor to AC will be Frank Schleck. He's improved his TT enough to win it, and that last TT will be brutal. Also don't count out the value of a strong team. If AC is thinking he's going to get any help from "teammate" Vinikourov, he's sadly mistaken.
Lance Armstrong Tour de France----- 25 Stage wins, 83 days in Yellow, 1st place 7 times. Most wins in the history of the Tour. Go ahead and try to talk pile but the results speak for themselves.
Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye Lance, you will not be missed !
Fact of life is old bones break easy. Let's hope LA does not get caught behind the wrong guy on the cobbles and turn his 'last tour' into an early trip to the hospital with a wrist or collarbone break from riding those ****ed things. (When I got into cycling 25 years ago, I watched Roubaix on TV and told myself that I wanted to ride cobbles. Then I rode a stretch of them and realized what a stupid idea that was. Those things really, REALLY s**k.)
fotodelicto--- check 2006- 2008 Tour line-up and tell us who was there, especially 2008.
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