Armstrong returns!

[Grahaml]

Surprised the news hasn't broken here yet that Lance Armstrong is returning to attempt to win the tour again.

Armstrong will ride in 5 tours next season (TDU are also chasing him and might be a chance as he tried to regain fitness and form) with a view to peaking for a possible 8th TDF title. Rumour is he will post results of his drug tests online. Armstrong has stated the fact the sport is possibly the cleanest it has ever been offers his the chance to prove himself clean, and therefore the greatest.

While most believe Armstrong was probably clean, for mine it is sad to have a lingering doubt that he beat so many cheats that perhaps, just perhaps, he got out in time to avoid being exposed. Since he left the sport, cheats have been exposed in record numbers and some of the greatest names in the sport have either been caught, caught out, or hounded out. Names such as Ullrich, Vinokourov and Rasmussen among the highest profile riders in the world who now ride for no-one because of innuendo, a failed test and lying about where they were. Former winners in Landis and Riis were caught and admitted to cheating respectively. Landis is no longer a tour winner (that title belongs to Oscar Pereiro Sio now, who sadly doesn't get the recognition a tour winner aught to get thanks to the dirty cheating lying denying Landis.) and Riis is only recognised because they can't strip the title from him.

Competing in the new culture of riders outing each other, fewer teams and doctors assisting wannabe cheats, greater penalties and better testing exposes Armstrong to the most rigorous testing he has ever undergone. If he can withstand this scrutiny, especially with retrospective testing for any sample he provides it will quash any speculation, so long as he proves himself again. If Armstrong fails miserably, it will only increase speculation as the "he can't do it clean" theory will come to the fore. Nobody expects him to win after 3 years out, and any top 10 finish would be nearly as impressive as his wins. The only question is which team? Astana are the ones being talked about, but they have denied the story. Since they have a winner and a podium place getter already on their list and the fact the TDF didn't invite them this year it seems an odd choice for Armstrong. Why take the effort when there's a chance his team doesn't even get invited? CSC also have 2 riders in the Schleck brothers who will both want to ride for the win. IMHO, Armstrong would be best suited to joining a team he knows will get there. And a team that has 1 overall threat at the moment. A team like Rabobank or Silence-Lotto would have been the obvious choice IMHO. Evans and Menchov both are serious threats, ride for teams that WILL go to the TDF and both teams are 100% focussed on the overall win. With McEwen leaving Lotto next season they finally destroy the last bastion of doubt about their objective for the TDF. Adding Armstrong to rejoin his great ally Popovych and Evans gives Lance the chance to be a contender in a team that wants to win, a team with support and another contender will let Armstrong (and Evans) have the vital advantage of not being the sole focus of other riders, the fate that effectively ended Evans hopes the last 2 years. It also allows either Armstrong or Evans a fantastic aide who will stick with the main group up the toughest climbs if one or the other gets a good lead, or should one have trouble.

[Thiele]

They are trying get him down for the tour down under

[devilsadvocate]

Have just seen this news and WOW.

Excellent news for the TDF and what a coup if they could get him to RADelaide for the TDU!

I see too that Lance recently finished 2nd in the US's 100km Leadville Mountain Bike race - not too shabby at all. Those guys are FIT.

[Grahaml]

I think this year offers us a greater chance than before simply because he needs to ride in competitions to get his fitness back up. Racing without trying to win in the Aussie summer should be very tempting for him.