Lance Armstrong Seeks Victory at 2009 Tour de France
July 2, 2009 by Kevin Phoenix · 7 Comments
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Lance Armstrong believes he can win an eighth Tour de France title, well aware that after 4 years of retirement, his ageing legs are not as strong as they used to be. The 37-year-old Armstrong won the last of his record seven straight Tours in 2005, and his unexpected comeback has fans worldwide eager to see if he can add another victory to his cycling legend.
In an interview with AP Armstrong said “I would love to be eternally young, but I’m not… that’s just reality.”
In January, Lance stunned the sports world when he announced plans to come back from retirement and race for an unprecedented eighth Tour de France win.
Armstrong’s improbable comeback from cancer to become Tour de France champion is one of the most inspiring stories in all of sports. The Texas-born cycling phenomenon was diagnosed with Stage 4 testicular cancer in 1996, which was treated with chemotherapy and surgery. He rebounded from the disease to win an unprecedented seven consecutive Tour de France titles, from 1999 to 2005.
In March, Armstrong broke his collarbone in a harrowing crash during the Vuelta a Castilla y León in Spain. Two months later, Lance competed in his first-ever Giro d’Italia, Italy, coming a respectable 12th overall in the grueling 2,147 miles race. On June 21, Armstrong won the Nevada City Classic, a challenging one-day race in the Sierra Nevada foothills, USA.
Added Armstrong, “It’s not going to be easy to win. In December and January, I thought it would be easier. It ends up being more difficult than I thought. Perhaps because of the crash, of the complicated season or simply because I’m older now.”
When riders take the start line in Monaco, just one rider, the Spaniard, Inigo Cuesta, at age 40 is likely to be the only competitor older than Armstrong. The oldest champion to date was Belgium’s Firmin Lambot, who was 36 when he won in 1922.
Armstrong knows the odds are against him and he would love to prove his doubters wrong.
As meticulous as ever, for the past week, Armstrong has been in France previewing the various Tour stages, researching potential rough spots. He is racing for the team Astana – for free – in part to help raise cancer awareness and in part because, as he says, “I love it”.
The 2009 Tour de France, covering some 2,174 miles over 21 stages, runs from July 4 to July 26.
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I don´t think that he will make it the 8th time. He is also not from this world. His time is over and there should be enough chances for othe drivers to win the tour.
I hope he can do it. Anyway, we have different views about it. right?
I’m an Armstrong fan for some while now. It was really hard to find out that he had cancer. I really hope that he will return to the Tour de France with a new victory. Go Armstrong!
Well i think Lance Armstrong deserve that victory because he is a hard worker. I have seen it’s it’s workout for a day on the internet and truly speaking it was really very long. Anyways keep it up and keep continue.
My son in law is a fan of Lance Armstrong. He mentioned that Lance did endurance training in the high altitudes of the Cañadas del Teide of Tenerife, where I live. Mount Teide is 3714m high and Spain’s tallest peak. However, I have also gone up one of the alpine roads in the mountains above Avignon, which are a must during the Tour de France. I regret to have forgotten what the location is called but, every professional cyclist will know. To be honest, they are incredibly steep and look like a much bigger challenge to me than the rather gentle roads leading to Teide. Of course, getting to the Cañadas is a different story.
Just wondering if Lance will be able to take part in the French competitions for long… He would deserve it.
Gabriele´s last blog ..Dec 11, Beach landscapes Awesome Black beach design Tenerife photos