The Hindu : Sport / Cycling : Armstrong mulls retirement after Tour de France

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Saturday, Apr 09, 2005

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Armstrong mulls retirement after Tour de France

NEW YORK, APRIL 8. Lance Armstrong is considering retiring after he tries for a record seventh straight Tour de France victory this July.

``It's a possibility,'' Armstrong said on Thursday while in New York to support it's 2012 Olympic bid. ``I am still thinking about that.''

Comments Armstrong made to Italian media last week that he missed his kids and the pressure was taking a toll on him fuelled speculation that this year's Tour de France would be his last.

``Four more months and it's over ...,'' the 33-year-old was quoted as saying in Gazzetta dello Sport.

His new two-year contract to race for the Discovery Channel team requires he race just one more Tour de France.

On Thursday, Armstrong said he would have plenty of responsibilities to occupy his time if he was to retire.

``I'd have a lot to do with the fight against cancer,'' said Armstrong, who overcame testicular cancer to become one of cycling's all-time greats.

``That is enough to keep me busy for the next 50 years. I have three young kids that I want to be a full-time father to.''

Armstrong was in Manhattan to back-pedal from his endorsement of Paris as the possible host city for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

New York, London, Moscow and Madrid are the other four finalists, with a winner to be selected by the International Olympic Committee on July 6.

On March 9, just as the IOC began assessing Paris' bid, Armstrong said, ``to be fair, I think that Paris deserves the Olympics.''

A day later, he said: ``New York City is the bid of my heart.''

On Thursday, he tried to straighten it all out.

``A few weeks ago, I tried to be extremely diplomatic in a country I have not always been diplomatic in,'' Armstrong said of his comments in France, made while he was competing in the Paris-Nice race.

``I think I created a bit of a stir in New York City.''

Wearing a red hat with the NYC2012 logo on it, Armstrong said: ``This kid from Texas absolutely loves this city.

``This is absolutely the greatest city in the world. This is the city for the 2012 Olympics,'' he said.

``We have everything. Everything is ready. Again, I have to apologise a little for the confusion.''

Later this month, the former Olympian will race in the Tour de Georgia, returning to defend his title as he trains to compete for the Tour de France.

And, he says, he'll continue to support New York's Olympic bid

``I want to be clear: I think all the other cities are deserving,'' Armstrong said.

``But none of them deserve it like New York City.''— AP

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