…but this begs questions…is he going to do the world hour record for example…and will he be able to resist the Ironman at any time in his life…a World TT Championship?..
Here’s the press conference in full…
Lance Armstrong Press Conference
Lance: First of all I’d like to thank everyone for being here. This is probably the second biggest media event in Augusta in recent weeks (referring to the recent Masters golf tournament) - we’ll happily be second.
I will cut right to the chase and say that after a lot of thought, considering the season and the races I was going to do this year, and having decided to focus on the Tour, at the same time I have decided that the Tour de France will be my last race as a professional cyclist. (Lance was visibly choked up as these words came out.) So July 24th will be the last one after more or less 14 years in the professional peloton, it will be the last one - win or lose. Having said that, I am fully committed to winning a 7th Tour.
There are a few people I would like to thank that have been very helpful along the way. First and foremost, I think the biggest inspiration in my life now and the biggest inspiration to this decision is my children. They are the ones that make it easier to suffer, but they are the ones who have told me that it’s time to come home. And so without them, none of this would be possible. The second is my mother, she’s been a great force that I have learned a lot from.
All the many, many sponsors and partners we have had along the years, and obviously now Discovery Communications. John Hendrix, Judith McHale, and especially Billy Campbell who came along and picked up a program last year, believed in our sport, believed in the team, believed in the Tour de France, believed in cycling - I can’t thank them enough. Obviously the relationship with Discovery will continue for years to come and I am excited about being a part of the programming there, helping Billy, helping all of the Discovery Networks to do different things, and sort of parlay the success on the bike into something else.
Also, I would like to thank this guy here - Johan Bruyneel - who in my view has been the premier sports director of all time. He’s directed 6 Tours and won 6, and I don’t know anyone else that can claim that record. This is the guy that came along and believed in me in 1998, and said that you could do it, and this is how you’re going to do it, and let’s go for it. And along the way he helped shape and mold the team and put together a group of people - not just riders, but staff and sponsors and advisors that made all of this a reality. With Johan and my teammates over the years - all of them, some are still on the team and some are not - they have all been key to 6 Tours and even the other races that lead up to the Tours. So I can’t thank them enough.
Sheryl, you’ve been an amazing woman. For somebody’s who’s the Queen of Rock & Roll you sure have been a great cycling fan, cycling teammate and a great partner. Lastly, my one other team - this team of 10 million cancer survivors around the country that have been very powerful. I think if you look at certain times in my life I’ve relied on a special force, and I think the force of a team like that is incredibly powerful. So to have them to fall back on, and to know that not only do they inspire me, but that I can hopefully inspire them, I hope to give them one more Tour de France. That’s it for now, and I’d like to take some questions…
- Can you speculate, one year from now, how difficult will it be to abide by this decision?
I have thought a lot about it. And I have gone back and forth… there are are many races that I think about and I dream about because they really motivate me. I was watching Milan-San Remo a few weeks ago - for you non-cycling journalists here, that’s a big race! - and I couldn’t sit down the entire race. I was in front of the TV the entire race, and Sheryl said to me, “Look at yourself - you can’t even sit down! How are you going to retire?” And so that’s a great question, but I have to tell you I am 100% committed and the decision is final.
It’s going to be hard to separate a professional cyclist from a fan of cycling. I’ll always stand up during the intense moments. And the outlet for me will have to become via Johan (Bruyneel) and via the team. And I think the team can move forward, I think we can develop another Tour winner, and I’ll just be asking Johan if I can come along and ride in the car in the Tour de France - I might not be able to sit down! But ultimately athletes have to retire. I have been doing this for 14 years, I’ve been a professional athlete for almost 20 years, and the body doesn’t just keep going and going and going. So my time has come and there are many other things I need to do in life - but I’ll definitely have the itch every now and then…
- Is Georgia your last race in America? Will we see you race in San Francisco?
No - if it’s after July 24 (and it is) then it’ not an option. Georgia could possibly be the last American race, I would love to be able to find a race in May to go and do - some of you may or may not know that I jumped in a local race a few weeks ago (Ojai, CA). Depending on where I am, the first place I look is the Internet and the local race scene. If there’s good, high quality racing I am more than willing to jump in and ride with the locals. I can’t promise you I won’t show up somewhere in May, but I have yet to scour the Internet and find locations - I know there’s some stuff in Colorado. So I guess I have scoured it a little bit (laughs)…
- How are you feeling physically at this point, and how much of an effect is that having on your decsion?
I feel fine right now. I was a little bit unsure about this race last year coming in, and it ended up being successful. So I would put my feeling and sensations on the bike at about the same place they were 12 months ago. Of course all that is not really much until you get into the race and you test it against the other guys, so we’ll see here in the race. I am excited to race - it’s a great race and a great field and I’d like to try and win again. But if you remember last year I was also guarded when I said I didn’t know if I could win, and I’ll say it again.
- It’s my understanding you have a 2-year contract with Discovery and I am wondering how that’s going to come into play?
With regards to the 2-year contract with Discovery, my contract with them is actually longer than that. And it’s not a contract that stipulates I have to be on the bike. It’s a contract that says I need to do one more Tour and that will happen. And I’ll repeat: it’s a Tour that I want to win. This has been a dream of mine for a long time. And whenever I watch sport - whatever sport that might be - I love to see the guy go out on top. I would love to try and do that. If I step off the bike, that does not mean I am not involved with the team, doesn’t mean that I am not involved with Johan or the sponsors or the developing of young riders. It doesn’t mean I am not involved with Discovery on a programming level, so all details of the contract will have been met. I am too close to the guy on my right (Johan) to not be an integral part of the team. I want to see it continue and I want to see it be successful. And ultimately, I want to see it develop another Tour de France winner.
- There’s been a lot of speculation about your retirement lately, why the decision to do it here today in Augusta instead of waiting till closer in July?
Great question - the answer is simple, it’s a decision I’ve taken, it’s a decision I am firm on and I want to be upfront and honest with the media and the fans, not just here in American but also over in Europe. If it’s something I have really decided about - and I have - it just seemed to me to be better to announce that and get it out there and let everybody know. Earlier in the season when I was trying to decide my calendar I think people thought that I was playing a game of cat-and-mouse with the organizers of the Tour and my rivals and that really wasn’t the case. Truly, when I had decided that we were going to do another Tour I announced it. And so I’m just trying to be upfront and honest about it.
- You said the Tour would be your last race as a pro. Are you leaving open the possibility of racing not as a pro?
(Laughing) Umm, well that’s tough to do. 5 years from now, if I’m in Texas and there’s a local Mountain Bike Race, will I go down there and do it? Probably. That’s just simply as a fan, as an officianado, as someone who does cycling for fitness. I love the bike, I think it’s the best piece of exercise equipment in the world, and I am committed to the bike for life - I’ll need to get my competitive fix somehow, so if it’s little ways like that, probably.
- What about the Olympics?
No, no - you’d have to be a professional - I’d like to go watch! Age becomes a factor there too, 2008 - I’d be too close to 40. No.
- How much of a responsibility do you have to keep winning the races you participate in?
I consider it a big responsibility. #1 it’s something I absolutely love to do. I don’t go out and work hard every day to not win. It’s my goal and my ambition to try and win. And I have been fortunate in the Tour to win 6 times, and I was fortunate to win here last year. Can I win again here this year? I am sure going to try and do my best, as they teach you in school. And the same thing goes for the Tour. This is going to be a different year I think for the Tour de France, I am one year older, and when I always consider the main rival to be Jan Ullrich, he looks to be much better than he’s ever been this time of year, so it could be an excting Tour this year as far as that goes. Plus there’s a whole new generation of young riders coming up that I think will provide plenty of excitement in the Tour, but it’s my ambition to win, and I guess my job to win. The partners in the team obviously care to have their name more on a yellow jersey than on their own jersey. So I understand about the business side as well.
- How clearly defined in your contract / your mind is your role within the team?
I can’t say I studied the contract on the way over… my role is one of an advisor and an ambassador for the program, and also I can’t say this enough: I am very, very interested in seeing this team be successful - and believing that this team can be successful without me. Johan and I talk at least once a day, sometimes 10 times a day, and while I think that may change a little bit, I still think we’ll have daily communication and I will be involved in every facet and nuance of the team and how to make it better and faster.
- How did that decision come about to quit after this year’s Tour de France?
Did you have to use the word “quit”?.. I suppose after I made the firm decision to ride the Tour I started to think about it. And then I went back to Europe and started the season and had this period of one month when I was over there and my kids were back here in Texas. And that was much harder than it had ever been before. Obviously last year I spent a period of 2 months and then 3 months without them, which was very difficult, but this year was something like I had never experienced. They are at an age now where they change daily, if not hourly, and to be away for one month, it’s grueling. I came back and I was blown away by the changes in their lives, their attitudes, and their independence and intelligence. It’s time for me to not miss key moments in their lives.