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Exclusive Look: Armstrong's Big Apple Madone - BikeRadar
This isn't what I'd characterize as newsworthy, but I knew a few of the folks here at Current would enjoy the pics.
Check out the whole story and be sure to check the photos.
I guess it is good to be the king. This isn't what I'd characterize as newsworthy, but I knew a few of the folks here at Current would enjoy the pics. ... more -
Armstrong responds to Tour organizer's 'embarrassment' quip
Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong responded strongly to the Tour organizer's new president's comment that he has "embarrassed" cycling's premier race.
"We can't say that he has not embarrassed the Tour de France, as he has had a quite a complicated history with it," Jean-Etienne Amaury said earlier Saturday in French sports newspaper L'Equipe. Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong responded strongly to the Tour organizer's new president's comment that h... more -
Doping rules may delay Armstrong comeback
Lance Armstrong might not be able to start his comeback in January in Australia because of the doping rules that apply to riders coming out of retirement.
Elite riders need to be in the sport’s anti-doping program for six months before they can race, cycling’s governing body said Saturday. The UCI will discuss with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency whether the seven-time Tour de France winner has met that requirement. The UCI said it will decide next week if Armstrong can race in the Tour Down Under set for Jan. 20-25.
On Sept. 8, USADA confirmed to the Associated Press that Armstrong was part of its out-of-competition testing pool and said he would be eligible for elite competition on Feb. 1, 2009.
UCI president Pat McQuaid said Saturday “the rules must be respected.”
Rule 77 of the International Cycling Union’s anti-doping program outlines when riders can begin their comeback in official races.
“A rider who has given notice of retirement from cycling to the UCI may not resume competing at international level unless he notifies the UCI at least 6 months in advance before he expects to return to international competition and is available for unannounced out of competition testing at any time during the period before actual return to competition,” the rule says.
Armstrong has run marathons and competed in small races since retiring.
“We have to look into that,” McQuaid said. “I am not sure what the exact dates are that he started the program.” Lance Armstrong might not be able to start his comeback in January in Australia because of the doping rules that apply to riders comin... more -
Armstrong set to join Astana team
Lance Armstrong will join the Astana team when he makes his much-anticipated return to cycling, according to a Kazakh cycling federation offical.
"On Wednesday Armstrong will announce his decision to join our team," said Kazakhstan's cycling federation deputy president Nikolai Proskurin.
The seven-time Tour de France winner will begin his comeback at the Tour Down Under in Australia in January.
The 37-year-old Texan will reveal further details of his comeback schedule at a news conference in New York.
But Tour Down Under director Mike Turtur has already said that Armstrong has confirmed his entry for the six-day race around South Australia, centring on Adelaide, starting on 20 January.
The Kazakh-financed Astana team, now based in Switzerland, suffered two high-profile doping scandals in 2007 and were barred from this year's Tour de France despite a substantial overhaul in team management.
Kazakh rider Alexandre Vinokourov, the old Astana team leader, tested positive for blood doping after winning a time-trial stage of the 2007 Tour, and was subsequently sacked and banned for a year.
Astana is now run by Armstrong's friend and former sporting director Johan Bruyneel, who helped the American win all his seven Tours.
Bruyneel has suggested that he would find it almost impossible not to include a fit-again Armstrong in his team.
But current team leader Alberto Contador, the 2007 Tour de France winner who recently became only the fifth rider in history to win all of cycling's three major Tours when he won the Tour of Spain, has already hinted Armstrong's presence could cause conflict.
"I've earned the right to be the leader of a team without having to fight for my place," Contador told AS newspaper.
"And with Armstrong, some difficult situations could arise in which the team would put him first and that would hurt me."
But Proskurin believes the two will work together in a new line-up.
"Currently there's certain tension in the team but I hope we are capable of keeping the situation under control," Proskurin added.
"Armstrong will not be the only star, he will be one of the team's leaders. Lance Armstrong will join the Astana team when he makes his much-anticipated return to cycling, according to a Kazakh cycling federati... more -
McCain to speak at Clinton event
Former President Bill Clinton is welcoming a galaxy of international stars to the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative later this month, including Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, whom Mr. Clinton has vowed to help Senator Barack Obama defeat in November.
The event, scheduled to run Sept. 23-26 in New York, is nonpolitical and has featured prominent Republicans in the past, including Laura Bush in 2006. Mr. McCain is to deliver the opening remarks; Mr. Obama, the Democratic nominee, is to address the participants by satellite.
“C.G.I. isn’t about politics,” said Matt McKenna, a spokesman for Mr. Clinton. “It’s about improving lives and solving some of the world’s most pressing problems. President Clinton is grateful that both candidates for president are taking time away from the trail to join in that effort.”
Mr. Clinton began the initiative in 2005 to bring together influential people to help solve problems in areas like health, energy and poverty around the world. The members have made nearly 1,000 commitments valued at more than $30 billion to provide help in more than 150 countries.
Others scheduled to attend this year include Al Gore, Bono, Lance Armstrong, Barbra Streisand, Muhammad Ali, T. Boone Pickens and Tom Brokaw. Several heads of state are also coming, including Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Gordon Brown of Britain and Silvio Berlusconi of Italy. Former President Bill Clinton is welcoming a galaxy of international stars to the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative late... more -
Lance Armstrong returning to Tour de France in 09
Lance likes France.. what can you say?
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Out of retirement, Armstrong eyes 8th Tour de France win - CNN.com
Lance is back!!!!! need i say more
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Armstrong coming out of retirement for Tour
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)—Lance Armstrong is getting back on his bike, determined to win an eighth Tour de France.
Armstrong’s return from cancer to win the Tour a record seven consecutive times made him a hero to cancer patients worldwide and elevated cycling to an unprecedented level in America.
The 36-year-old Armstrong told Vanity Fair in an exclusive interview posted on its Web site Tuesday that he was inspired to return after finishing second last month in the Leadville 100, a lung-searing 100-mile mountain bike race through the Colorado Rockies.
“This kind of obscure bike race, totally kick-started my engine,” he told the magazine. “I’m going to try and win an eighth Tour de France.”
The sport and particularly the Tour have missed his star power, even though skeptics refused to believe he could win 7 Tours without the help of illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
The 2009 Tour “is the intention,” Armstrong’s spokesman Mark Higgins told The Associated Press, “but we’ve got some homework to do over there.”
Tour director Christian Prudhomme did not return messages seeking comment on Armstrong’s decision. His staff said he would not comment before Wednesday morning, if at all.
Armstrong’s close friend and longtime team director, Johan Bruyneel, now with team Astana, sent a text message to an AP reporter in Paris saying he did not want to comment now.
In a video statement on his foundation’s Web site, Armstrong said details— such as a team and schedule—will be announced Sept. 24 at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City.
“I am happy to announce that after talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden,” Armstrong said in a statement released to The Associated Press. “This year alone, nearly eight million people will die of cancer worldwide. … It’s now time to address cancer on a global level.”
In the Vanity Fair interview, Armstrong told the magazine he’s 100 percent sure he’s going to compete in the Tour next summer.
“We’re not going to try to win second place,” Bill Stapleton, Armstrong’s lawyer and longtime confidant, told the AP.
“I think it’s great,” said longtime teammate George Hincapie, who added he spoke to Armstrong on Tuesday morning. “Like I said earlier today without Lance half the teams in this race probably wouldn’t be around. He’s done more than anyone for the sport especially in America and around the world.”
“On a personal note, I like that he’s going to be back in the peloton. He’s a great friend of mine, and I also think for the sport it’s good, too.” AUSTIN, Texas (AP)—Lance Armstrong is getting back on his bike, determined to win an eighth Tour de France. ... more -
Armstrong returning to cycling, will try for Tour No. 8 win
Lance Armstrong is getting back on his bike, determined to win an eighth Tour de France.
Armstrong's return from cancer to win the Tour a record seven consecutive times made him a hero to cancer patients worldwide and elevated cycling to an unprecedented level in America.
The Tour "is the intention," Armstrong's spokesman Mark Higgins told The Associated Press, "but we've got some homework to do over there." Added Bill Stapleton, Armstrong's lawyer and longtime confidant: "We're not going to try to win second place."
What team he'll ride with and in what other races he'll compete are undecided, Higgins said. Lance Armstrong is getting back on his bike, determined to win an eighth Tour de France. ... more -
Lance Armstrong 'to make Tour return'
Lance Armstrong plans to come out of retirement and try to win an eight Tour de France, according to reports.
French cycling magazine VeloNews claims the American will race in five events in 2009 culminating in Le Tour.
The US anti-doping agency has confirmed Armstrong has reinstated himself in its out-of-competition testing pool.
The Texan, who turns 37 on September 18, beat testicular cancer before winning seven straight Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005. Lance Armstrong plans to come out of retirement and try to win an eight Tour de France, according to reports. ... more -
Report that Armstrong to ride for Astana team refuted
As speculation swirled that seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will return to competitive racing in the 2009 season, the champion himself remained mum, as did his closest advisers.
Quoting anonymous sources, VeloNews.com reported Monday that Armstrong, who turns 37 on Sept. 18, would return for several high-profile races next year, taking no salary and posting the results of blood tests on the Internet in order to prove that he is riding clean.
Armstrong, who recovered from life-threatening testicular cancer to rewrite the Tour record books, was dogged through much of his career by unproven allegations and circumstantial evidence that he took performance-enhancing drugs, charges he vehemently denies to this day. He never tested positive.
The report further said that Armstrong would ride for the Kazakhstan-financed, Belgium-based Astana team, managed by his close friend and former director Johan Bruyneel, who guided the U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams during Armstrong's reign at the top. Several of Armstrong's former teammates still ride for the team, along with 2007 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of Spain.
Messages left for Bruyneel, Armstrong and his agent and business partner Bill Stapleton went unanswered Monday. A spokesman for Astana said the team had "no plans" with Armstrong.
"The Lance rumors exist already a few weeks," team press officer Philippe Maertens wrote in an e-mail from Spain, where Astana is competing in the Tour of Spain. "We know that he continued training hard after that mountain bike race. He will do some cyclocross races as well in the USA. I cannot tell you more. You better ask him. Lance Armstrong is no part of our team. Team Astana has no plans with him."
Armstrong is said to be interested in competing in five road races, including the Tour of California and the Tour de France. Astana controversially was not invited to cycling's biggest event this year because race organizers said they felt burned by the team's past doping offenses. Tour director Christian Prudhomme has said in recent months that race officials would reconsider that stance depending on the team's results and whether it steered clear of doping scandals. Contador won the Tour of Italy and his teammate, American Levi Leipheimer, is currently a close second in the ongoing Tour of Spain. As speculation swirled that seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will return to competitive racing in the 2009 season, the... more -
Lance Armstrong to return for 2009 Tour de France?
Lance Armstrong’s reported comeback won’t take place 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.”
The cycling journal VeloNews, citing anonymous sources, reported on its Web site Monday that the 36-year-old seven-time Tour de France champion would compete in the Tour and four other road races with Astana in 2009.
But Astana team director Johan Bruyneel, who was with Armstrong for all seven Tour wins from 1999-2005, told cyclingnews.com that he was unaware of any Armstrong comeback.
“I don’t know where the rumors come from,” the Web site quoted him as saying.
Maertens said rumors that Armstrong might come out of retirement had been circulating for a few weeks.
“I cannot tell you more,” Maertens said in the e-mail. “You better ask him.”
Armstrong did not immediately respond to a text message or voice mails left by the AP. Armstrong’s manager Mark Higgins and Bruyneel also did not respond to voice mails left by the AP.
George Hincapie, a longtime Armstrong teammate, would not comment Monday afternoon following the first stage of the Tour of Missouri.
VeloNews reported Armstrong will compete in the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia and the Dauphine-Libere, in addition to the Tour.
The Astana team, however, was not allowed to compete in this year’s Tour after Alexandre Vinokourov was kicked out of the 2007 Tour for testing positive and the team quit the race.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency confirmed Armstrong is part of its out-of-competition testing pool and would be eligible for elite competition on Feb. 1, 2009. The Amgen Tour of California begins Feb. 14.
USA Cycling said Armstrong has not applied for an international cycling license, but chief operating officer Sean Petty said Armstrong typically did not request such a license until January or February. Lance Armstrong’s reported comeback won’t take place with the Astana cycling team. ... more -
Is Lance Armstrong, 7-time TdF Champion, making a comeback?
"Lance Armstrong will come out of retirement next year to compete in five road races with the Astana team, according to sources familiar with the developing situation.
Armstrong, who turns 37 this month, will compete in the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia, the Dauphine-Libere and the Tour de France — and will race for no salary or bonuses, the sources, who asked to remain anonymous, told VeloNews."
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Alberto, Levi AND Lance?? My gawd, what an arsenal. Astana is poised to kick some serious butt. "Lance Armstrong will come out of retirement next year to compete in five road races with the Astana team, according to sources f... more -
The Power of Positive Thinking: Truth or Myth?
You might call Maarten van der Weijden the anti-Lance Armstrong. Last week, the Dutch Olympic long-distance swimming champion and cancer survivor told the British newspaper The Telegraph that he didn't want to be compared to the American cycling star.
"Armstrong says that positive thinking and doing a lot of sports can save you. I don't agree," said van der Weijden. "I even think it's dangerous because it implies that if you are not a positive thinker all the time you lose ... The doctors saved me. I am just lucky."
Van der Weijden's comments cut to the heart of an ongoing debate in the medical community. Can patients really improve their chances of survival by staying upbeat and happy? Experts say the American public has largely accepted this as fact. But, scientifically speaking, questions remain regarding whether this works, how it would work, and what such a connection would mean for patients who don't get better.
Appeal and promise:
There certainly is an appeal to believing that you have some level of control over a debilitating illness. "I think it's part of the American spirit," said James Coyne, director of the behavioral oncology program at the Abramson Cancer Center and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. "There's this idea that you can succeed and conquer anything, even illness, on the basis of your character."
And studies showing a possible connection between positive thinking and health are frequently in the news. For instance, work by researchers at Ben-Gurion University in Israel suggested that women who've faced several life challenges, such as a death in the family or divorce, are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than peers who've had more stable, happy lives. The results were detailed in the Aug. 21 issue of the journal BMC Cancer.
The same study also found that women with cancer were more likely to report that, prior to diagnosis, they had been anxious or depressed and that bad things had happened in their lives.
Ronit Peled, one of the Ben-Gurion University researchers, said this was evidence for a relationship between emotional well-being and the risk of contracting cancer. "The main message from my point of view is that young women who have severe life events at a young age should be considered a risk group for breast cancer and treated accordingly," she said. "But general feelings of happiness and optimism in one's life can play a protective role."
Coyne said the public often takes news like this to mean that positive thinking has been unequivocally proven to be good for your health.
But the truth is a little more complicated.
How do you feel?
In reality, there is no clear-cut answer yet on whether being upbeat can keep you healthy or cure anything, Peled and Coyne both said. Research on the subject is divided between studies like Peled's and studies like the one Coyne did, detailed in December 2007 in the journal Cancer, which found that emotional well-being wasn't an accurate predictor of whether or not patients with neck and head cancer survived.
Coyne is particularly skeptical of positive thinking's power over cancer. "The problem with cancer is that it's so complex. By the time you're diagnosed it may have been building for decades," he said.
For other diseases, though, the scientific outlook is sunnier. Coyne said there's evidence that mood can predict whether someone who has had one heart attack will have another. And he said there is a biological explanation for why this might be possible.
Little research has been done on the biological basis of positive thinking as a therapeutic treatment for illness, but Coyne said scientists know the brain and the immune system communicate. Given that scientists also know the immune system plays a role in inflammation of the arteries, which can play a role in heart attack, it's reasonable to think that heart attacks could be tied back to things going on in the brain.
(Continued) You might call Maarten van der Weijden the anti-Lance Armstrong. Last week, the Dutch Olympic long-distance swimming champion and canc... more -
Get healthy, live strong
The Lance Armstrong Foundation and Demand Media, a social media company, are launching a Web site today with 600,000 pages of content on health, fitness and wellness. The site has a library of 15,000 articles and videos, 350,000 nutritional food profiles and 50,000 health and fitness-related questions and answers.
The site, www.livestrong.com, includes information from doctors and other experts, exercise tips on everything from flattening flabby abs to improving overall workouts, and an array of help on such topics as quitting smoking and dieting, including a "daily plate," which tracks calories for those on the path to lowering their weight.
The site is free, and unlike livestrong.org, which is dedicated to cancer survivors and their families, livestrong.com is for anyone who wants to make change, Armstrong said.
"The polls will tell that 85 (percent) to 90 percent of Americans want to change something about their life or their lifestyles, but only 40 percent of them get started doing it," Armstrong said. "The obesity epidemic, soaring diabetes rates and other unhealthy trends have America heading to a perfect storm the health care system is not prepared to handle."
The site enables people to work in groups, like the one with 100 women who tested the "daily plate" to collectively lose 1,000 pounds and got messages when they needed to step up their exercise to counteract their daily calories, said Larry Fitzgibbon, general manager of livestrong.com.
"We think this is one of the killer (applications)," Fitzgibbon said. "There are sites for this on the Web, but they cost money."
Articles on the site, such as "Four Ways to Treat Bacterial Infections," or "Five Things You Need to Know About Lipomas," are delivered in a short, simple style. The Lance Armstrong Foundation and Demand Media, a social media company, are launching a Web site today with 600,000 pages of content ... more -
Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong Together
I really was hoping that this rumor wasn’t true, but it looks like it might be! Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong were photographed together in Monaco. They exited the car separately but by then the photographers already got the money shot! Excuse me while I cry!! I really was hoping that this rumor wasn’t true, but it looks like it might be! Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong were photographed toge... more
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Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong kissed in Cannes
I can’t believe this is really true … Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong! I totally loved Kate and Owen Wilson together, and I was hoping they were engaged. Here’s the story out of Cannes though …
The pair kissed and danced to old Madonna songs and other ’80s favorites. “They were beaming at each other,” a source [says]. “So cute.”
That’s just crazy talk I tell you! I can’t believe this is really true … Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong! I totally loved Kate and Owen Wilson together, and I was hoping... more -
Bike Snob visits Austin
One of my favorite Blogs, the Bike snob NYC (*big apple bike commuter/biker/crit/fixie love-hater/bikes/bikes/bikes/ that has very direct sense of verbally describing bikes and peripheral issues, it is a must read, fellow blog readers*) makes it from the big apple to Austin TX, to check out Lance's Mellow Johnny's opening Party.
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"I am supportive of any new bike shop, even if it is part-owned by a celebrity and doesn't really need my support. I'm even supportive of Chari & Co., who also had an opening party this past weekend in New York City, and I wish them nothing but success. (Even though the pictures I see kind of make me sick.) So I figure a new shop in Austin that's actually well-stocked, well-staffed, and worth a visit merits a little attention. I mean, it's no Dah Shop, but it's pretty sweet. After all, where else can you not only buy bike stuff but also look at Tour de France memorabilia and modern art, drink gourmet coffee, and take a free shower all under the same roof? Just add a retired cyclist in Nikes pawing at you and you'll know exactly what it's like to be Ashley Olsen." One of my favorite Blogs, the Bike snob NYC (*big apple bike commuter/biker/crit/fixie love-hater/bikes/bikes/bikes/ that has very di... more -
Lance Armstrong dating Ashley Olsen!?
Their kid is destined to become the best bike messenger San Francisco has ever seen.
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SCARY COUPLE NEWS!
Ashley Olsen and Lance Armstrong. AAAH!
"The 21-year-old twin showed up to the Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel Monday night with Tory Burch's ex, Lance Armstrong, 36. Our bar spy said, 'They came together with a group of friends. Ashley drank red wine, sat on his lap and they were making out all night. They left together around 2 a.m.'"
Please don't be true. That would be gross. Ashley Olsen and Lance Armstrong. AAAH! ... more
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Lance Armstrong
