Little Green Footballs - He's Really Gonna Do It

Show top rated links | LinkViewer

He's Really Gonna Do It

Tue, Sep 9, 2008 at 6:13:55 pm PDT

Out of retirement, Armstrong eyes 8th Tour de France win.

(CNN) — Cyclist Lance Armstrong confirmed Tuesday that he will be returning to road racing and will shoot for an eighth win at the Tour de France.

“I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden,” the seven-time Tour de France champion said in a statement issued by his LiveStrong Foundation.

In an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair posted Tuesday on the magazine’s Web site, Armstrong said he is certain he will compete in the Tour de France next summer. “I’m going back to professional cycling,” he told the magazine. “I’m going to try and win an eighth Tour de France.”

Hit the tip jar!

refresh | ► spinoff links (3)

Tags: Cycling, Lance Armstrong, Tour De France

48 comments

Comments are open and unmoderated, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Little Green Footballs.
Obscene, abusive, silly, or annoying remarks may be deleted, but the fact that particular comments remain on the site in no way constitutes an endorsement of their views by Little Green Footballs.
Posts that contain phone numbers, street addresses, email addresses or other personal information will also be deleted, as will posts that consist only of a variation on the word, "First!"
Comments that advocate violence will be cause for immediate banning with no appeal.
Disagreement and debate are welcome, but insults and abuse are not, and may cause your account to be blocked.
REMEMBER: posting comments at LGF is a privilege, not a right. Abuse that privilege, and your account will be blocked.

Hide comments | Jump to bottom

LoFlyer Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:15:14pm

You go Lance! Better make it fast, age is creeping up in the rear view mirror!

Sharmuta Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:15:17pm

Go, Lance, go!

godfrey Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:16:18pm

Phelps effect?

Killian Bundy Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:17:02pm

Great cause.

/dumb idea, unless he wins again

Gang of One Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:17:18pm

With an attitude like that, does he vote Dem or Rep?

godfrey Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:17:34pm

the global cancer burden

We're too busy healing the planet, Lance. Tell those people to give us a call around, say, 2050.

Gang of One Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:18:20pm

He did dump Sheryl 'One Sheet' Crowe, right?

Three Hundred Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:19:00pm

Put this man on a pedal-powered generator and hook him up to the grid.

Tigger2005 Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:19:02pm

To "raise awareness of the global cancer burden?"

How about just to kick some French ass?

/Sorry to be so vitriolic

jcm Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:19:32pm

All of Fwance trembles tonight.

Tigger2005 Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:20:45pm

re: #10 jcm

All of Fwance trembles tonight.

Except those who are out burning cars.

The Shadow Do Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:24:06pm

Anyone who has read his book knows he is dead serious about this. Don't give a rip about his politics. He is a good and decent guy and crushes a bicycle on occasion.

Egfrow Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:28:26pm

Lance's Daily Retirement Regiment"

6am, Eat Breakfast.
6:30am Ride 100 miles uphill.
12:pm Eat Lunch
1pm Walk Dog
2pm Ride 100 miles uphill.
6pm Eat Dinner:
7pm Walk Dog
8pm Make fun French Cyclists on Racing Blogs.
9pm Make love to Kate Hudson
10pm Ride 20 miles down hill.
11pm Make love to Kate Hudson
12pm Go to Sleep.

Repeat daily.

Macker Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:28:34pm

Man, this will irk the French off to no end!

snowcrash Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:30:29pm

More like Torres than Phelps IMO.

least Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:35:32pm

This has nothing to do with Armstrong, but it is about bicycling, sort of.

Charles, we haven't seen photos of cool bicycle stuff for a while now.
You doin' something else?
Just curious.
_{You do take a break now and then, don't you.}

likesbrusselssprouts Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:35:53pm

:yawn:

yochanan Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:37:25pm

is this any different than brit farve?

when you retire from sports you should stay retired.

cowbellallen Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:42:13pm

*cough* steroids *cough*

addison Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:45:12pm

re: #18 yochanan

is this any different than bret farve?

when you retire from sports you should stay retired.

I remember, with a heavy heart, the damage Michael Jordan did to his legacy by coming back that second time. He heart clearly wasn't in it and it lowered his scoring such that he did not retain the career scoring average. And for what?

jordash1212 Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:46:05pm

He's trying to discredit the rumors that he's a steroid user.

Mich-again Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:46:26pm

The French will disqualify Lance when they find traces of hemoglobin in his blood.

Old Tanker Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:48:47pm

re: #7 Gang of One

He did dump Sheryl 'One Sheet' Crowe, right?

You can't tell he's a Republican? He doesn't inject politics into everything.....

Old Tanker Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:49:25pm

re: #22 Mich-again

The French will disqualify Lance when they find traces of hemoglobin in his blood.

How about when they find a pulse?

Mambo Bananapatch Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:50:04pm

More power to him. He strikes me as the type of guy who would have a very difficult time not competing. I just hope he doesn't embarrass himself.

Old Tanker Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:50:56pm

re: #23 Old Tanker

You can't tell he's a Republican? He doesn't inject politics into everything.....

Sorry....meant your number 5

Mambo Bananapatch Tue, Sep 9, 2008 6:51:20pm

re: #7 Gang of One

He did dump Sheryl 'One Sheet' Crowe, right?

"I ain't going down there, sweetheart," said Lance, and fled.

Old Tanker Tue, Sep 9, 2008 7:06:41pm

Go figure, I picked the thread that went dead at 28......

least Tue, Sep 9, 2008 7:10:21pm

I picked 29

jenv Tue, Sep 9, 2008 7:25:31pm

I think he's too old to win, but he would make a great support cyclist.

USBeast Tue, Sep 9, 2008 7:25:57pm

I know I'm going against the flow here, but I really hate to see this. Armstrong has nothing to prove. His place in history is secure. He could make a huge niche for himself working on coaching, improving bike tech, promoting cancer research or any number of things.

In my half century plus, I have seen too many athletes hurt themselves trying to deny the effects of time and mileage. I really thought he was smarter than this.

LEGION Tue, Sep 9, 2008 7:34:34pm

Yawn....

Lynn B. Tue, Sep 9, 2008 7:36:44pm

Someone in the last Lance thread asked if he's ever done anything other than ride a bicycle.

Yeah, those yellow wrist bands that all those cancer survivors and their friends, family and supporters wear? That's something.

Lance has been my idea of a genuine American hero ever since I stood on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in June 1993 and watched him win the Corestates Championship/Thift Drug Triple Crown bike race in Philadelphia.

/I still have the teeshirt. And the race on videotape.

John B Tue, Sep 9, 2008 7:54:31pm

#10 JCM:

"All of Fwance trembles tonight."

Why, the French haven't won in over twenty years. I'll be interested in what happens to Leipheimer and Contador if he goes back to Bruyneel at Astana. Lots of alpha dogs on that squad.

Btw - Velonews has a video by Armstrong - he says wait until Sept. 24 for the full story:
[Link: www.velonews.com...]

freedombilly Tue, Sep 9, 2008 8:19:30pm

Bet against him at your own risk. I don't care if he's 37. He's an animal and the ASO can't be happy about this. Which means I am.

Syrah Tue, Sep 9, 2008 9:24:40pm

I don't trust the French when it comes to this race.

Lance had better bring his own food and water.

kynna Tue, Sep 9, 2008 10:04:50pm

Good luck to him. I was excited when Michael Jordan came out of retirement, though, and that didn't go too well. I hope he does well and has no problems with the 'officials'.

_RememberTonyC Tue, Sep 9, 2008 11:28:13pm

re: #8 Three Hundred

we did it already!

Youtube Video

longacre Wed, Sep 10, 2008 2:46:37am

Question for me is: on what team, and who will give way for him? I have no doubt he has a realistic assessment of his ability in this regard, but ya' can't win it alone!

Mordecai Wed, Sep 10, 2008 4:12:10am

re: #34 John B

#10 JCM:

"All of Fwance trembles tonight."

Why, the French haven't won in over twenty years. I'll be interested in what happens to Leipheimer and Contador if he goes back to Bruyneel at Astana. Lots of alpha dogs on that squad.

Btw - Velonews has a video by Armstrong - he says wait until Sept. 24 for the full story:
[Link: www.velonews.com...]

The Winners of the Last 20 years and their countries:

2008 - Carlos Sastre - Spain
2007 - Alberto Contador - Spain
2006 - Oscar Pereiro - Spain
1999 to 2005 - Lance Armstrong - USA
1998 - Marco Pantani - Italy
1997 - Jan Ulrich - Germany
1996 - Bjarne Riis - Denmark
1991 to 1995 - Miguel Indurain - Spain
1990 - Greg LeMond - USA
1989 - Greg LeMond USA
1988 - Pedro "Perico" Delgado - Spain

So in the last 21 years you have 9 wins for the USA, 9 for Spain, and 1 for Italy, Germany and Denmark. Armstrong is the greatest racer ever in the Tour, with seven wins in a row. Maybe he should not make a comeback, as expectations would be incredibly high for him, but it's good news anyway. He will add a lot of interest to the race.

flasticles Wed, Sep 10, 2008 5:31:36am

You've got to be kidding me. I loved Lance's years of domination but, really, why destroy it with the arrogance of a comeback? I raced at the semi-pro level in the US and abroad some and the guy is basically Methuselah at this point. Win the Tour? Long shot.

smokefire Wed, Sep 10, 2008 6:37:41am

re: #18 yochanan

Yoch, it is Brett Farve. And Brett has already thrown 2 td passes. With Tom Brady down with a knee injury, the J E T S, JETS, JETS, JETS, have a chance to win their division.

smokefire Wed, Sep 10, 2008 6:40:18am

re: #41 flasticles

I would not bet against Lance. Anyone that can come back from nearly the dead with the BIG C, can and will comeback for #8

g3n3r1c Wed, Sep 10, 2008 7:35:26am

re: #13 Egfrow

He dumped Kate Hudson-she was getting "to serious"

realwest Wed, Sep 10, 2008 9:11:32am

Test

WrathofG-d Wed, Sep 10, 2008 10:11:11am

I guess Lance was watching the swimming competition in the olympics too.
Dang you Michael Phelps, dang you....(*shakes fist in air*)

Cali White Bear Wed, Sep 10, 2008 11:26:07am

Yawn. whatever.