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| Looking to the future? |
Currently training in Hawaii, Armstrong is preparing for his last Tour Down Under. Lance first raced the Tour Down Under in 2009 to kick-start his return from three years in retirement. In his three trips to Australia's only World Tour event, Armstrong has learnt much about the country and its people. He has been called a lot of things - good and bad - but ignorant is not one of them. He never goes anywhere without researching where he visits, especially when founding cancer-research initiatives, as has been the case in South Australia.
Many of the attacks on Armstrong have come in the aftermath of an ongoing investigation into him by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States. That stemmed from doping allegations made by his former American teammate Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France win after he failed a drugs test. Armstrong, who has never failed a dope test and has undergone hundreds - possibly thousands - of controls, declared his innocence to Landis's claims in May. And ever since last year's Tour de France, in which he placed a disappointing 23rd, he has remained tight-lipped about them and the investigation.
Armstrong was not in a position to elaborate on the FDA investigation yesterday, but nonetheless broke his silence on the matter to say the probe had not impacted his day-to-day life. "I don't let it affect me," Armstrong told the Herald. "I have five kids to raise. I have a foundation to help run and lead. I still have, theoretically, a job - I ride my bike and train every day. It has no effect in what I do on a daily basis." As the FDA has hovered and his new-found and often anonymous enemies have zeroed in on him, Armstrong has devoted himself to action more than words. But he has not been impervious to what has gone on around him, and is excited about his second attempt at retirement from international cycling.
A visit by Armstrong to the Coalition Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan last month helped to put things into perspective - as had the testicular cancer that nearly killed him in 1996. War, cancer and natural disasters such as the Queensland floods might affect people in different ways, but Armstrong says they can often bring the best out of people and force them to reassess their values. "They are all wildly different," Armstrong says. "You can compare the flood in Queensland. You could compare war, or you could compare cancer. They are all very different. But ultimately the toll that they take on human life and the disruption to people's sense of normalcy is all the same. The thing is - we talk about this at the [Lance Armstrong] Foundation - teamwork and community.
''The same goes for the armed forces. A big thing for them is commitment to each other, a commitment to their country. Then you see something that comes along - whether it's [Hurricane] Katrina, a tsunami in South-East Asia or floods in north-east Australia or Queensland … People have to try to work together to cope with these sudden changes in their lives." So is Armstrong's sporting career as important to him as before, now that he has visited Iraq and Afghanistan?
"It's different now," Armstrong says. "Compare it to our recent trip. You are there for support, to give a quick hello or entertain some troops who have given up 12 months of their lives. They earn $30,000 a year. They risk their lives every day. They live in absolute misery in terms of the barracks and the conditions of Afghanistan and Iraq. ''They are in countries [where] young men and women - to be frank, they are like all of us - would like to go out and have a few beers at night and chase around and have some fun. And they are not allowed to. Cyclists are often the first to start whingeing about the conditions. I've been at the top of that list for many, many years. But I tell you what - seeing what these guys and gals go through … " Looking ahead to his retirement, Armstrong has plotted a new sporting path that will include some US cycling races such as the Tour of California, a few triathlons - his main goal is October's Hawaii Ironman - mountain-bike races and charity bike rides.
Some believe Armstrong's zest for cycling has waned due to age and the heightened scrutiny of his integrity by the FDA, media and internet bloggers following Landis's allegations. He is clearly tiring of other issues that drag the sport down - issues that blow up into scandals that could have otherwise been settled with more unity among the various stakeholders who come under the auspices of the Union Cycliste Internationale. As examples he cites race licensing, entries and radio protocols. Armstrong knows cycling's future is no longer in his hands. "Being close to 40, those days are done," he admits. "Cycling has been great to me. [But] from now on, I ride for fun. I ride for pleasure. I ride for fitness. 'I plan on keeping the ties I have, whether it's the local bike shop, [my] development team or multisport stuff that include bikes - triathlon or mountain bike - or charity rides I enjoy. That will be my connection."
Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.
