News
Rumour no more, Lance returns
Carlton Reid Sep 10 2008, 9:03am
Earlier this week VeloNews reported that Lance Armstrong was to un-retire and ride the 2009 Tour de France. Report now confirmed
The news was meant to be a scoop for Vanity Fair reporter Douglas Brinkley, who lives near Armstrong, in Austin, Texas. Instead, VeloNews was first to the wire, saying there was to be an interview in Vanity Fair confirming the new.
The scoop in VeloNews sent the blogosphere into a frenzy and had reporters falling over themselves trying to catch up. Yesterday, the report seemed less likely to be true when the Astana team denied it was to the vehicle from which Armstrong which pitch for his eighth Tour de France victory. Astana is managed by Johan Bruyneel, Armstrong's former directeur sportif.
However, Vanity Fair has now published to the web what was meant to be a mag exclusive. In a long, ranging article Brinkley soon cuts to the chase. He reports Armstrong saying:
“I’m going back to professional cycling. I’m going to try and win an eighth Tour de France.”
Brinkley wrote: "But at age 37? A 2,000-mile, 23-day race, much of it uphill? By next July? I asked him, rather ungraciously, if he wasn’t too old to get back into shape that quickly.
"He laughed. And he was off and running. “Look at the Olympics. You have a swimmer like Dara Torres. Even in the 50-meter event [freestyle], the 41-year-old mother proved you can do it. The woman who won the marathon [Constantina Tomescu-Dita, of Romania] was 38.
Older athletes are performing very well. Ask serious sports physiologists and they’ll tell you age is a wives’ tale. Athletes at 30, 35 mentally get tired. They’ve done their sport for 20, 25 years and they’re like, I’ve had enough. But there’s no evidence to support that when you’re 38 you’re any slower than when you were 32.
“Ultimately, I’m the guy that gets up. I mean, I get up out of bed a little slow. I mean, I’m not going to lie. I mean, my back gets tired quicker than it used to and I get out of bed a little slower than I used to. But when I’m going, when I’m on the bike—I feel just as good as I did before.”
Armstrong has hired his own film crew to record his return, including the enhanced regime of dope testing that cyclists now have to adhere to.
Brinkley wrote:
"Every morning, Armstrong explained, he was up at 5:30 training: riding his bike through the Hill Country, lifting weights, sizing up the European competition, jogging for ungodly miles around Lady Bird Lake. He had hired former pro triathlete Peter Park—a Santa Barbara strength and conditioning coach who owns two California gyms—to whip him into shape. His main cycling coach of nearly 20 years, Chris Carmichael, had now picked up the pace. Meanwhile, Johan Bruyneel...would run and manage his team, developing comprehensive tactics for winning the Tour."
Comments
“Armstrong again.”
Posted by: Andy Scaife - Sep 10, 11:40am
Yawn....... More Armstrong books clogging up the shelves in Borders where the cycling books should be. more non-cyclists asking my opinion on him, just because I use a bicycle for transport.
What has this to do with the bike business, or indeed cycling anyway?
“Re: Armstrong again.”
Posted by: nickyg - Sep 10, 3:55pm
Andy - You miserable fart - Lance riding the TDF again to bring attention to his Cancer Charity can only help raise awareness for the big C....and the fact that 'normal' people are asking about Lance can only get more people interested in bikes...not less... Well done Lance...poor show Andy Scaife...
“Re: Re: Armstrong again.”
Posted by: Steve - Sep 10, 7:11pm
Exellent news.. nudge nudge wink wink say no more.. now where`s all my Nike kit??
“Re: Re: Re: Armstrong again.”
Posted by: Kyle - Sep 11, 9:03pm
Yawn, Andy Scaife you are a bore.
Don't like his books? Don't buy them.
Don't like talking about him? Don't talk about him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What does this have to do with the bike buisness?
Oh well, seing as Lance has such a big name in the bike world, maybe it will encourage "non-cyclists" to spend money on bikes and get fit.
What does this have to do with cycling?
I'm sure it has something to do with Lance Armstrong coming out of retriment and riding a bike again, whcih I'd call cycling.
PS. I've never read any of his books and I don't ride road bikes.
PSS I love you Andy Scaife
“Armstrong again zzzzz”
Posted by: macca - Sep 12, 11:53am
who actually cares, what he does?
is anyone stupid enough to believe its not about the ego?
do you really believe its about raising awareness about cancer?
He might just be playing the media world for what it is . . . . . or, the chemically enhanced one testicle wonder, might actually be missing his regular supply of diplomatic cases being delivered worldwide, courtesy of Johan Bruyneel .
he'd have more credibility if he went out ethnic minority hunting in the deep south of Alabama.
“Re: Armstrong again zzzzz”
Posted by: Andy Scaife - Sep 13, 4:13pm
Yey Macca!
It's hard for road bike/racing enthusiasts to take criticism of their sport, and I'm sure the drug scandals are an embarrasment to them, which is a shame. Cycle racing was once a fine, worthy sport. The brilliant Olympic events reminded us of that.
The silly responses to my negative remarks about Armstrong show how touchy the whole scene is these days. nobody picked up on my point that this is bikeBiz, and I don't see much relevance. We deal in the world of regular cycling and cyclists, using bikes for transport, and I'm sure if I was running a (probably struggling in the present wet summer) 'sports n leisure' bike retailer then I'd be hoping for the spin-off. As it is though, the reputation of professional cycle sport does more harm than good to the image of bicycles in the eyes of non-cyclists (whom we are in the business of converting into cyclists).
I realise that I'm speaking from a luxurious position, being Director of a non-profit, whose aims (above) are more important than making a buck. York, also is more 'european' in its cycling culture than most of the UK, with more interest in racks than racers, panniers than pelotons, trailers than testosterone.......
“Re: Re: Armstrong again zzzzz”
Posted by: retrogrouch - Sep 13, 4:19pm
The problem is in the names. Cycling (using a bike) and Cycling (racing).
it's a bit like if Formula 1 was called 'motoring'.
Maybe if more distinction was made, there would be less perception among potential cyclists that riding a bike is akin to this strenuous athletic activity on TV. it would also distance the annual pharmaceutical shennanagins over the channel, from the activity of gaining mobility, health and pleasure from using a bicycle.
“Armstrong again zzzzz”
Posted by: Andy Scaife - Sep 13, 4:21pm
Retrogrouch, you want a job?
“Scaife again? Who cares? Zzzzzzzzzzz”
Posted by: David - Sep 20, 3:27pm
What the hell are you on about? The article announces the return of a cycling legend and you start rambling on about dealing "in the world of regular cycling and cyclists, using bikes for transport".
What has that got to do with Lance Armstong? What has that got to do with cycling as a sport? What has that got to do with the Vanity Fair article. Nothing.
Armstrong again......who cares? Everyone with a passion for the sport of cycling will care, admirers and loathers alike will care.
I love the way your second comment makes reference to "The silly responses to" your "negative remarks about Armstrong" as if you'd forgotten how "silly" your initial "books clogging up the shelves in Borders" sounded.
Congratulations though, I can hear myself sounding "silly" As if any of this is in any way important in the real world. I've never been motivated to comment on on anything online before. But on this occasion, for some reason, I can't help myself. Go and get a life Scaify and stop being a "silly" killjoy