This is kind of interesting since he has always stated the French as a people have embraced and loved him wherever he went. It was the media who always lambasted him. So he may want to be careful stating he wants to get back at the French by winning again.

I'm guessing he'll be "on again, off again" every week until iy gerts down to the cut-off to make a formal announcement.

I'll only be shocked if he stays retired.

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
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I think Lance's statements in the past were based on being a good statesman. Maybe in the next couple of months we will see everyones true colors.

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Las Vegas NV | IM KY 07

How does riding in the Tour again answer allegations that he used PEDs?

Good point. Maybe he is just sticking it to the drug testers...."Another year of you not catching me" ;)
Not that I choose to believe that.
M~

Seriously. If that's the reason he wants to do the tour again I see it as a pretty weak excuse. Especially when his reason for retiring was to spend more time being a father. In addition, he's recently engaged.

So I don't really see how riding proves anything about the PED use.

I'd love to see him come back as a domestique for another non-French rider, perhaps Ivan Basso.

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Live long and surf!

Especially when his reason for retiring was to spend more time being a father.

I'm not holding my breath on this one. Nothng against Lance as an individual, but from all the biographies I have read of superathletes ... they have a very hard time at putting others first and arranging their schedule around other people.

Lance is a momma's boy that was (obviously) raised by a mother whose life revolved around Lance. Lance's first marriage was a relationship that revolved around Lance (to the detriment of the marriage). Granted, he's finally met someone that is independent and fine by herself ... but now they are going to a family, and Lance will need to not be #1 anymore. From the likes of Jordan, Ozzie, Pete Rose, etc .... there just are not that many su0per athletes that are able to settle down and sacrifice as much as needs to be in order to be a good father.

I'll be honest. I love my kids more than anything else, but sometimes they're boring. Really. Doing the same activity over and over, watching the same video over and over, coloring the same coloring book over and over, doing the same song-n-dance over and over, can be really bvoring ... yet, you do it b/c THEY love it. Heck, I sometimes find it boring and my life has been nowhere near as exciting as his has.

I wish him the best, and I support his decision to settle down and be a good father and correcet his past, if that is what he really intends to do (versus just talk). If he is able to do that, IMO, it will just as impressive as a TdF win ... and givent eh personality/attitude of fellow super athletes, I am not making that statement lightly..

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Lance Armstrong has proven himself to be the type of person and athlete when he gets backed into a corner, he fights hard to get out. He does not quit. Recall that this was a man who was given little chance of living more than a year when he was diagnosed with cancer, but came back from that. He was the same as an athlete, when the chips were down, when the cards were stacked against him, Armstrong tended to come back the strongest. The classic incident was on the climb to Luz Ardiden 2 years ago - he falls, hits the deck hard, breaks the rear chain stay on his bike, and still mangaes to make the key move in the tour that year and win the stage!

What will Lance to now. Who knows? But he he's not the type of man to take things or life lieing down!

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Lance should make his "comeback" to win Ironman France.

Very good example ... another one might be Joe Montana.

It's certainly possible, but (IMO) very difficult. The kind of personality traits that enable one to be one of the world's greatest athletes are not usually condusive to fatherhood. But, as we have seen, what Lance wants to do, Lance does.

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

"I'll be honest. I love my kids more than anything else, but sometimes they're boring. Really. Doing the same activity over and over, watching the same video over and over, coloring the same coloring book over and over, doing the same song-n-dance over and over, can be really bvoring ... yet, you do it b/c THEY love it. Heck, I sometimes find it boring and my life has been nowhere near as exciting as his has. "

Doing the same tempo rides, the same runs and the same laps at the pool, the same bricks for years and years might become boring too.

*yawn* we all know he can win the race. if he wants to do something spectacular, why doesn't he try to do a DIFFERENT event? God, any event at this point. It's absurd.

Besides, riding in the TDF doesn't prove a damn thing. At the end they could still accuse him of doping. and then what? ride in the thing until he's 100? LOL!!!

Y'all didn't actually believe he would retire, did you? He obliterated the field this year, he's still in his prime and can dominate on a world class level. I'm sure he wants to retire. I'm sure he wants to spend more time with his kids. I'm sure he would like to retire while he's on top. But he's a competitor, and he is still at the top of his game. He'll race again. He can't help it. Kind of like Roger Clemens . . .

RP

Something like an ironman...

If he does an ironman and is successful at it then that will prove something.