Lance Rides to Another Great Race

By Bob Roll
July 26, 2009

Lance Armstrong returned to the Tour de France after a four-year layoff and, of course, the famous seven wins. To the astonishment of everybody, Lance announced last fall that he would come back to the greatest bike race in the world. In the meantime, there have been a lot of twists and turns in Lance’s comeback. Most debilitating perhaps, he broke a collarbone in a small stage race in Spain earlier in the spring, putting in doubt whether he would be able to take part in the Tour.

Rather than his normal program of participation, Lance used the Giro d’italia to prepare for the Tour. When Lance entered the start house in Monaco three weeks ago, it was absolute pandemonium and chaos and it was if the whole world was waiting for somebody to come back and re-claim the title of the greatest bike racer in the greatest bike race. A gigantic roar greeted his comeback to the Tour and he finished tenth in that stage.

The next competitive rendezvous for Armstrong was the team time trials, and he led Team Astana to a great victory; nobody was close to Astana, they were the best team by far. It has been a point of pride for Lance Armstrong for many years that his team wins the team time trials if they are to go on and win the Tour.

Lance had used a stage No. 3 crosswind battle that forced a separation in the peloton to get a little bit of time back on his rivals, including Frank and Andy Schleck. After the team trial he came within 0.22 seconds to get the yellow -- something that did not happen this year in the Tour for Lance, but not for the lack of trying.

During the first stage into the mountains, Alberto Contador took the initiative. He wound up the day just three seconds ahead of Lance. Contador continued to his assault on the yellow jersey on the slopes of Verbier, one climb where Contador was clearly stronger than Armstrong.

Armstrong continued to build his form through the Tour and when he arrived in the Alps, he was looking a little stronger. He re-gained some of his form of old and re-integrated into the lead group and consolidated his position into the top three for the podium.

Contador, on the next stage, into Les Grand Bornand, was able to attack the Schleck brothers and isolateLlance a little but and prove he was the fittest man for this year’s Tour de France. Strategically speaking, Lance held back a little bit so as not to bring Bradley Williams from the Garmin team across Contador – that was a very astute maneuver. Ultimately, he played a great  team role in Contador’s victory. Lance would eventually finish that stage fifth.

The next strategic moment was a team time trial. Lance started quickly, but was disappointed in his 16th place finish, a stage that was won by Contador, who gained more time on all his rivals.

Lance did drag himself back into the top three for a final podium position. The last big stage of the Tour was of course was the dreaded Mont Ventoux. A great breakaway was established early in a stage that was won by Juan Manuel Garate, the greatest win in his professional career. But in the end, Andy Schleck was joined by only two men, Contador and Armstrong.

Lance continued to build his fitness and instincts throughout the Tour and the race was a true test to his willpower and talent that, after a four-year absence, he was able to haul himself up to the final podium.

In the final analysis, it cannot be argued that Lance Armstrong is the greatest participant in the history of the Tour de France. Seven wins, one third, innumerable stage wins and almost 100 days of the yellow jersey. If he races again in the Tour, as he says he will, it could be No. 8.

The TDF has been his canvas, and he painted another masterpiece in 2009.