Bicyclist Lance Armstrong has surprised a lot of people, me included, with his announcement this morning that he will attempt a seventh-straight Tour de France victory this summer.
Last summer he became the first cyclist to win six Tours in the event that dates back to 1903, raising speculation that he might not compete this year.
His TV appearances last weekend on Oprah and the Grammy's had me convinced that he was going to sit out this Tour to compete in some one-day European classics and maybe the Giro d'Italia or Vuelta d'Espana, attempt a new one-hour record, and call it a year.
In the announcement on the website for his Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, Armstrong said, “I am excited to get back on the bike and start racing, although my condition is far from perfect.” Well, there's perfect for Lance and perfect for everyone else.
Race promoters for the Tour de Georgia must have been relieved this morning to hear Armstrong would defend his crown in that race as well. Early indications pointed to him not competing in the April 19 -24 race.
On Monday, Armstrong signed up for the 736-mile Paris-Nice race in France, scheduled for March 6 – 13, and announced this morning that he would compete in Belgium's Tour of Flanders on April 3.
After the 2,222-mile Tour de France, July 2 – 24, his schedule is open.
All the races will be televised again this year on Outdoor Life Network. Here's a press release about the CyclismSundays schedule.
Recent Comments