ESPN is reporting Lance Armstrong will be riding for team Astana next year and will ride five road races, to include both the Tour of California as well as the Tour Of Georgia, and his own personal ride the Tour de France once again. He gets no salary and no bonuses reportedly.

Personally I have some mixed reactions on this. I can't see Lance Armstrong taking a wing man position ever and I can't see the likes of Alberto Contador or Levi Liepheimer stepping down to be his wingman anymore. This could prove to shake up the pot a little bit here.

WHat are his reasons? Perhaps he is sick of hearing people say he couldn't do it today with the drug testing the way it is and wants to prove everybody wrong? I truely hope that is the reason.

Jeff

He's bored

Probably. Although he just opened his new bike shop in Austin, Mellow Johnnys, and he is doing marathons now. I heard he never really stopped with the training on cycles either. Perhaps he just wants to try out shimanos new electronic shifting Dura Ace group in a race. :thumbsup:

Jeff

Plus I hear he's run out of women who look like his mother ;)

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/9987/lancewomengh5.jpg

I'm sure he is in good cardio shape yet with all the women he has gone thru in the last few years if you get my drift ;) :D

I am so glad we decided to do the Tour of California this year. I equate seeing Lance Armstrong race with so many football fans that flew into green bay over the years just to see Favre play one game.

Jeff

He probably just really enjoys racing and doesn't want to give it up.

I just hope he doesn't come back and get flogged.

When does Floyd Landis get out of the penalty box?

He probably just really enjoys racing and doesn't want to give it up.

That way too logical Andy. People need a better bigger juicer reason than that.

I dunno, I'm convinced that's why Favre came back.

That way too logical Andy. People need a better bigger juicer reason than that.


Because in America what you do often defines who and what you are on the grand scale with the masses. People like Armstrong let this get to them on a level that the average bear doesnt because its ALL they know. Its their hobby AND their job which really means it defines who they are.

When they leave they suffer from a midlife crisis of sorts and feel lost.

Think about how many conversations you have with people where one of the frist 3 things asked are "so, what do you do?"

My answer lately to this question is "Live life...what do you do?"

Theres only two jobs, IMO, where people retire and will inevitably return - Sports and porn. Also the only two jobs I believe where people wake up in the morning really wanting to go to work.....I say this because they would still do it (the majority of them) if you removed the pay. I dont know of anyone other fields out there where you can ask the employed party - "Would you still work if you were super rich and didnt get paid to do your job?" and the answer would be "yes"

Theres your jucier reason. :D;)

sports and porn, huh? hmm

sports and porn

Open a bar with that name, stay true to the title and you'll be rich in very short order....then you can retire and unretire before retiring and unretiring again...

This is a tuff one to figure out. Is he plannibg to be very competive in the Tour De france as far as him trying to win. Or is he there to help the team because he misses the competion of Cycling so much. I like seeing him come back. He is a very exciting racer.
Him coming back to try to win the our De France again will for sure be butting in front of hopfuls who thought they would have a chance to win on the Astana team. Who knows, maybe the whole Team is Gung Ho for Him to come back and Beat some ass....
I'm looking forward for it. Time will tell. Could be a false alarm by the time Next Season starts.
Training starts soon.

He probably just really enjoys racing and doesn't want to give it up.

That fact that he is doing it for free tells me that.

He recently raced a 100 miler and took second. I think that probably got the ole competetive juices flowing in him again.

I do question though whether their actually is more to this story than something as simple as he just wants to race. Consider this before you say people just want a bigger story: What is Lance Armstrong known for best? 7 time winner of the Tour de France, correct? What team did he join? Astana. Which team is currently banned from the Tour de France for drug use? Astana!! Perhaps Astana is working on a way to get themselves quickly reinvited to the TdF. No way in hell the Tdf organizers will ban the team Lance Armstrong rides for.

Also Floyd Landis might have quite a while to go yet. I have heard two differing stories on that. 1. his penalty started right after the failed testing of the 2006 TdF, and 2. his two year penalty started right after all the appeals ended, which would just be a month or two back. If it started right away, he should be reinstated shortly, otherwise he has a long way to go to get back.

Jeff

Good thought about Lance helping a banned team to be recognized again. No Pay, sounds good, but I doubt it. Astana would pay big to get him on there team. Millionare Lance don't need the money but I'm sure its there for his taking.

Good thought about Lance helping a banned team to be recognized again. No Pay, sounds good, but I doubt it. Astana would pay big to get him on there team. Millionare Lance don't need the money but I'm sure its there for his taking.

And why not help Astana out. The best riders on that team were Lance Armstrongs underlings from Discovery. Astana went through a huge transformation this year after being caught for drug use last year and discovery disbanding. They brought on some huge riders, but couldn't get invited to the TdF. The TdF is currently doing whatever it can to attempt to restore it's name. So, why not bring back the biggest name in recent history of the TdF?

I believe Lance Armstrong is a competetive guy and wants to race, but I also believe their is more at work here than just that. If you follow pro bike racing, you know the story goes deeper.

Jeff

Open a bar with that name, stay true to the title and you'll be rich in very short order....then you can retire and unretire before retiring and unretiring again...

Hell... I would even work at that place for no pay!!!

I think he wants to get even with all the French people that call him a doper
either that or he is doing it to date the other Olsen Twin :)

And why not help Astana out. The best riders on that team were Lance Armstrongs underlings from Discovery. Astana went through a huge transformation this year after being caught for drug use last year and discovery disbanding. They brought on some huge riders, but couldn't get invited to the TdF. The TdF is currently doing whatever it can to attempt to restore it's name. So, why not bring back the biggest name in recent history of the TdF?

I believe Lance Armstrong is a competetive guy and wants to race, but I also believe their is more at work here than just that. If you follow pro bike racing, you know the story goes deeper.

Jeff

Who was the company he always did commercials for? Bristol-Myers Squibb? He's coming back to prove that he can juice his way through the TDF and pass all the drug testing. BMS wants to put their chemists to the test again :D .

Seems silly why he would join a team that is in the mix of doping scandal when he himself had to defend the doping scandals most of his career.

Like a lot of athletes. Once you get that competitive edge in you. It stays with you and I would imagine its hard to get rid of. Especially if you still have the physical ability to potentially compete again.

Interesting.....

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-armstrong-comeback&prov=ap&type=lgns

maybe he's going to play baseball

Interesting.....

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-armstrong-comeback&prov=ap&type=lgns

They seem to agree with my first assertion that he is coming back to disprove the drug rumors. It will be interesting to see where he ends up. I still think it will be Astana. Why wouldn't he want to go back with his team director?

Jeff

I just read this put out today:

But the reported comeback won't be with the Astana cycling team. "He is no part of our team," Astana team press officer Philippe Maertens told the Associated Press in an E-mail. "Team Astana has no plans with him."

I guess it took a while for the steroids to perk out of his system.:thumbsup:

I guess it took a while for the steroids to perk out of his system.:thumbsup:
LMAOROFl:)