Lance Takes Note of Favre

It's official the boss is back. Lance Armstrong, Inc. has decided to return to professional road racing and will compete in Le Tour in 2009. The news was confirmed by LA in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine of all places. Seems fitting for the guy who always generates a lot of attention.

Rumors were abound in the cycling world that Lance Armstrong would coming out of retirement to ride with Team Astana in 2009. It looks the Favre effect is spreading to other sports, even Euro-wuss dominated road circuit. The momentum for this story has been building and started showing up in cycling mags like Velonews and amongst riders at the Vuelta (currently in its second week).

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 Dauphiné Libéré and the Tour de France — and will race for neither salary nor bonuses, the sources, who asked to remain anonymous, told VeloNews.

Seems like a decent schedule to come back to although I don't think Paris Nice is all that exciting of a choice. As reported by Velonews yesterday he will be riding for his old team manager Johan Bruyneel. That doesn't necessarily mean the reincarnation of Lance will ride for Team Astana. He was part owner of Tailwind Sports the company that ran the Team Discovery outfit until 2007. So I think there's a good chance they will court a corporate sponsor and formulate a new team around Johan and Lance.

It would make for an interesting season. I'd never thought I'd see Contador, Cadel and Lance face off in the Alps. Of course I'll belive it when it actually happens. He may be serious about contending for his eighth Tour victory or he may crap his shorts at the top of the Col de Galibier. Either way it will be entertaining.

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