Lance Armstrong to return?

chillbro

chillbro

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I've read things on other road forums aswell. Seems it could be possible. He has been racing a bit of MTB lately and i've read something else about how he has been going through some drug testing.

I can't see why this would be a bad thing.
 
Lanky Love

Lanky Love

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37s not too old to be in road cycling. the older dudes in the tour this year were about 38ish i think. But if hes going to do this he better make sure he knows what hes doing, it would be so disapointing to see one of the worlds greatest ever cyclists end his carrer in such a lame way.
 
B

BrindiCruiser

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same age as me

wonder if I will be able to get to the TdF in 09?

I think I will talk to me wife, children and friends to consider my options...
 
iscarrr

iscarrr

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This is awesome news, it really is.

And now with Silence Lotto signing Bernard Kohl last week (king of the mountains this year), it could be Cadel and Kohl vs. Contador and Lance.

Should be a very interesting tour next year.
 
Lanky Love

Lanky Love

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iscarrr said:
This is awesome news, it really is.

And now with Silence Lotto signing Bernard Kohl last week (king of the mountains this year), it could be Cadel and Kohl vs. Contador and Lance.

Should be a very interesting tour next year.
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OMGZ pants are wet and sticky at the thought of that sort of show down.
 
C

chie

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Lance update

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/lance-could-own-the-tour/2008/09/19/1221331205913.html

LANCE ARMSTRONG says the reason for his return to road cycling is to engage in a global war against cancer. He also says more details of his battle plans will be revealed on Wednesday, when he holds a press conference in New York while attending the Clinton Global Initiative.

Rumours are circulating that behind Armstrong's decision, which will allow him to race in next year's Tour de France, is an audacious plan that will change the face of cycling.

It may not be unveiled next week, but the word is that Armstrong is involved in a possible buyout of Tour organisers Amaury Sport Organisation from its parent company the Amaury Group.

Furthermore, Armstrong may saddle up in the deal with Hein Verbruggen - the former president and now vice-president of cycling's world body, the Union Cycliste Internationale. Some say it may be an Armstrong-UCI deal.

It sounds far fetched … especially to those who might ask what Armstrong would get out of owning the Tour. Others may ask why he would race the Tour if a deal was in place. And what about the boilover of emotion from the French if their most famous sporting event was not only owned by an American, but by one they never really embraced even though he won it a record seven times?

Then again, there was a time when no one thought man would land on the moon. An Armstrong did that …

So let's think out of the square here. Let's just say the whispers of an ASO buyout are true.

Were Armstrong to own ASO, it would give him a huge European-based sporting arm through which he could promote the Lance Armstrong Foundation and expand exposure for his own personal sponsors.

It is worth noting that ASO, whose revenue in 2006 was €150 million ($263m), does not just own the Tour.

It also owns nine other races - including the Tour Qatar and Tour du Faso in Africa - the Dakar car rally, Paris marathon and half-marathon, the French Golf Open and the R.I.D.E international equestrian event in Normandy. The return of Armstrong to racing after a four-year hiatus - let alone if he won - would also reinforce the Armstrong branding that he virtually had on the Tour during his reign as champion, and would cement it as its future figurehead.

And if such a deal pains the French, should not the blame be pointed at ASO's owners for giving up a national icon?

If it sounds absurd, there have been a number significant events that hint at such an outcome.

American ownership of ASO would strengthen the bridge between it and the US-based Anschutz Entertainment Group which organises, among other events, the Tour of California.

Furthermore, the event already supports two cancer charities and has been listed by Armstrong as one of the races he will compete in next year. A relationship already exists between ASO and AEG, too.

Last year, they settled on a marketing partnership deal.

The prospect of an Armstrong-UCI coalition involving UCI vice-president Verbruggen also carries weight. The Dutchman appears available. He stood down as an International Olympic Committee member on August 24.

The UCI also announced during the Olympics that it had met with the Amaury Group to settle a long-standing dispute with the tour organisers over the official sanctioning of races.

But did they discuss more?

Nothing was said by the UCI then about a possible ASO takeover. Nor has it been since. But, interestingly, no tour executives were present at those talks, or at the UCI press conference in Beijing.

Recent whispers also hint that several ASO executives may soon be leaving. Such a scenario would leave Australia, South Africa and other countries in the southern hemisphere as the next frontier for the Armstrong-UCI ticket.

The gain for the UCI is its association with Armstrong, while for Armstrong, it would allow him to take his fight against cancer worldwide.

Which is, after all, the reason he says he is getting back on the bike.
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Please don't let this be true. :eek:
There's no mention of it on cyclingnews, anyone know where their getting the info?
 
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Lanky Love

Lanky Love

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Fark i wish the tour down under was closer to canberra or somewhere better, im seriously contemplating the trek just to see him ride.
 
Escapegoat

Escapegoat

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ordie said:
WEll they say hes going to race the tour down under? But for what team?
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Yeap, that has been confirmed today by TDU organisers, apparently the 'official' announcement from Armstrong is coming later tonight, which may answer the team questions.....
 
iscarrr

iscarrr

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Lance Armstrong racing for Astana

And here's the press release http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/lance-armstrong-racing-for-astana-18688

Cycling legend Lance Armstrong said Wednesday he would join Kazakhstan's Astana team for his competitive comeback -- but he didn't promise an eighth Tour de France victory.
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Which is interesting because yesterday Contador told the press he'd quite Astana if Lance joins:

"It would be quite complicated,” Contador told sports newspaper AS. “I think I've earned the right to be the leader of a team without having to fight for it and, with Armstrong, there could be difficult situations in which the team would put him first and that would harm me."
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http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/alberto-contador-may-quit-astana-18682

To be frank I think Lance will let him lead the team and just focus on helping Astana win, not him win specifically. He said his main motivation is the spread the word about cancer and LiveStrong etc. Complete dominance of the pro tour will do that, and I think he can help do that without winning all the races himself.
 
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