Lance Armstrong, now 37 years old, is planning to make a professional road racing comeback according to sources quoted by Velo News and Cycling News. They're talking about Lance signing with Team Astana to reunite with team director Johan Bruyneel and former Team Discovery director Dirk Demol, who has just signed on with Astana for the 2009 road season. Lance reportedly will race for no salary or bonuses.
Apparently rumors were flying wildly at the Eurobike trade show this summer. Neal Rogers of Velo News reports that Vanity Fair will feature an exclusive article in its next issue laying out the details of the coming road racing season and Lance's comeback.
Races Armstrong is said to be participating in are, Paris-Nice, the Dauphine Libere, the Amgen Tour of California, the Tour of Georgia, and the Tour De France.
If this turns out to be true, what a year it will be in professional cycling. I believe the domestic cycling ranks will be transfixed by this all season. I also see this as good for amateur cycling in the U.S. True champions, like Armstrong, are too often never able to see that they might not be champions still. The thought of his attempted comeback may inspire nonetheless. The cauldron he is about to enter, I think, will surely be more competitive now, maybe none more than the Astana team he is reportedly about to join featuring Levi Liepheimer and Alberto Contador both holding the one and two positions in the Vuelta a Espana respectively as of yesterday.
George Hincapie (Team Columbia) says he knows nothing about the Lance comeback. If he doesn't know now, he will know soon for sure. Keep your eyes and ears on him. He is one of Lance's closest friends and former teammates. Should be interesting if true in the 2009 road season.
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