Lance Armstrong Back for 2009!

[Mike]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/7605378.stm

Cycling legend Lance Armstrong is coming out of retirement to try to win an eighth Tour de France in 2009.

The American, who will be 37 on 18 September, recovered from cancer and claimed victory in the Tour a record seven times before retiring in 2005.

He said: "I'm happy to announce that after talking with my children, family and closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling.

"It is in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden."

He added on his website on Tuesday: "This year alone, nearly eight million people will die of cancer worldwide. It's now time to address cancer on a global level."

Armstrong famously overcame an aggressive form of testicular cancer before embarking on his remarkable run of Tour de France victories.


Since his retirement in 2005, he has run respectable times in the New York and Boston marathons but much of his energy has been spent running the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a charity dedicated to combating cancer.

Armstrong had to return to the United States Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) testing programme to compete in last month's Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race in Colorado.

He finished a creditable second in the tough event, to show he remains in good shape but the Texan is unlikely to settle for that at next year's Tour.

Armstrong will announce details of his team and pre-Tour racing schedule on 24 September at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City.



Did not expect this, but good on Lance

Anyone fancy betting on him?

[Parm]

strange decision, the man has won so much and done it all, retired at the top as well. Not sure if this is the right choice to make.

[redlancer]

strange decision, the man has won so much and done it all, retired at the top as well. Not sure if this is the right choice to make.

he looks to be doing it for cancer awareness as much as himself

good on him

[mersey86]

Hmmm. Always had suspicions he a step ahead of the drugs tests, but why would he be doing this, if that were true. Did he escape with his reputation semi-intact, or was he drug-free all along? The second option gains a lot in credibility.

[TheStig]

Hmmm. Always had suspicions he a step ahead of the drugs tests, but why would he be doing this, if that were true. Did he escape with his reputation semi-intact, or was he drug-free all along? The second option gains a lot in credibility.

Drug free all along.

People had strong doubts over him, but he was never proven.....

[hertsred]

In a retrospective survey of blood taken during his first win he was proven to have used EPO, but in such a way it couldn't used to convict him indivudually. L'Equipe reported it extensively. He was also at some point found to have used Cortisone, but I don't remember the details.

It is weird he has decided to do this. It will be very very hard for him to come back at the top level, and anything else will be such an anti-climax. If he did used to dope he will be in severe trouble next year as the controls are so much more rigorous than they used to be.

[Parm]

he looks to be doing it for cancer awareness as much as himself

good on him

true, but he does have his campaign which he has run for severla years and has done very well (remember those Yellow Bands a few years ago) surely he could have sponsored a team or something else instead

[Angry Dan]

I have to admit I do not know a lot about cycling but I work with a lot of Dutch guys who are really into it. They are not happy about this at all, from what I can gather from talking to them they fully expect him to win because he will not have been tested due to his "retirement" so will have been able to take whatever "suplements" he wants. Their opinion is he will win and then retire again.

He is allowed dispensation following his cancer to take things others are not allowed and also some controversy over positive tests in the past.