Cycling champion Lance Armstrong is engaged to rock star Sheryl Crow and is considering coming out of retirement to try for an eighth consecutive Tour de France victory, he told the Austin American-Statesman on Monday.
Since Armstrong and Crow have been living together for 18 months, their engagement may have been expected, though the couple has been dispelling breakup rumors since May.
But a spring wedding followed by a summer Tour?
“I’m thinking about it,” Armstrong said. “I’m thinking it’s the best way to piss (the French) off.”
Armstrong said he has entertained the idea for only the past two weeks. He said he began thinking about it when a French newspaper reported Aug. 23 that he had tested positive six times for a banned blood booster as he was winning his first Tour in 1999.
When asked how serious he was about another Tour, Armstrong said, “I’m exercising every day.”
Lance talking about “un-retiring” has happened even faster than I had expected, I thought he would take at least one year off. Some more info from Cyclingnews.com:
Johan Bruyneel in his team car at the Vuelta a Espana and he told us that “Yes, the quote from Lance in the Austin American Statesman is certain. You know, we had some retirement parties in Nice after the Tour and then Lance went back to the States and took it easy for a few weeks. Then he called me three weeks later and said ‘I’m back on the bike… I’m getting bored and missing the exercise, the riding’.”
Bruyneel explained that “I’m not excluding a comeback by Lance for 2006, but can’t confirm anything until I talk to him. But it’s not impossible.”
So it will be interesting to see what takes place over the next couple of months.
it seems anti-climatic. he’s been retired for less than 8 weeks. it would be more exciting for him to train secretly and then announce it say–later winter or early spring. either way, it’s not really a surprise…but i feel the thrill is gone. he’s been there and done that so many times now.
If he comes back, he should do Paris Nice, Milano San Remo, Liege Bastogne Liege, Paris Roubaix, Giro, Vuelta, San Sebastien (this was his first pro race where he finished so far off the back they folded up the grandstands before he got to the line) to shut people up that he is a one trick pony.
Nothing like pissing Lance off to get him motivated…
Wouldnt he piss the french off more if he did the Giro or the Vuelta? If he did one of those races they certainly would get a lot more attention than they get now. If he does the tour he brings more media attention and fans to the race>> ie better for the french.
I guess spending time with his kids wasn’t what he expected.
Too bad, he already has 7 TDF wins, his kids will never be kids again.
So anyone with a demanding job that requires some time away from home should retire to stay home with the kids?
How is his situation any different from a business exec that travels.
First and foremost, because he said he wanted to retire to spend more time with his kids. Obviously he didn’t really mean it or he has changed his mind. I really don’t care either way, but why say it if you don’t mean it?
AUSTIN, Texas – Lance Armstrong is staying retired.
An Armstrong spokesman said Tuesday the seven-time Tour de France champion is not making a comeback, despite comments the cycling great made to the Austin American-Statesman that he is considering returning to competition to anger the French.
“It’s not going to happen,” Mark Higgins told the Associated Press. “He’s 100 percent retired.”
Higgins, who spoke to Armstrong after the article appeared, said Armstrong was joking when he told a newspaper he was thinking of coming out of retirement.
“I’m thinking it’s the best way,” to anger the French, he told the newspaper. “I’m exercising every day.”
Armstrong said he had toyed with the idea of a comeback after the French newspaper L’Equipe reported Aug. 23 that he tested positive for a performance enhancing drug during the 1999 tour. He has strongly denied the drug allegations.
Armstrong was speaking to the newspaper to announce his engagement to music star Sheryl Crow. The two got engaged last week while on vacation in Idaho.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Seems pretty judgemental and lacking facts. You don’t know how much time he spends with his kids. You don’t know what their quality of life is. You don’t know if the mother prefers spending more time with the kids.
There are plenty of athletes that treat their kids with a LOT more disrespect. There are no shortage of wife beaters, womanizers, recreational drug users and cheats for you to rag on.
yes, i recall him saying, “it’s impossible” that I won’t retire. LOL! i have a hard time believing he’s serious. it’s just a transition phase–he’s probably having an identity crisis.
