Lance Armstrong ended months of fan and media speculation yesterday, announcing that 2005 will be his last year in pro cycling.
"After a lot of thought," said the record-setting six-time champion of cycling's premier event, "I decided that (this year's) Tour de France would be my last race as a professional cyclist."
His voice cracked as he uttered the last word. But true to form, Armstrong recovered immediately, leaving no doubt that he's "fully committed" both to his decision and to winning a seventh Tour.
The announcement came at a press conference on the eve of the Dodge Tour de Georgia, the six-day stage race that Armstrong won last year, and where he and his Discovery Channel team will be competing again, beginning today in Augusta. Armstrong said that he intended the announcement as an "honest, upfront" statement of his plans, denying that he'd been playing cat and mouse with the media or with his racing rivals.
"Once I made up my mind (to ride the 2005 Tour), I announced it," Armstrong said, referring to the fact that he'd waited until February to reveal that he planned to compete in the event again this year. Then, however, having subsequently departed for Europe in March to start the racing season, he described himself as "blown away" by the changes he saw in his three young children after only one month's separation.
"They're at an age now where they change daily if not hourly," Armstrong said. "It was much harder than it had ever been before. It's time for me to not miss key moments in their lives."
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