Will Lance Armstrong Return To Triathlon Or Not?
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong's announcement that he will retire from cycling for good has many questioning if it also means he will renege on his previous statement that he will return to the sport of triathlon in 2011.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong’s announcement that he will retire from cycling for good has many questioning if it also means he will renege on his previous statement that he will return to the sport of triathlon in 2011.
In yesterday’s interview with the Associated Press, Armstrong did not make any mention of a return to triathlon.
“My focus now is raising my five children, promoting the mission of (his foundation) Livestrong, and growing entrepreneurial ventures with our great corporate partners in the fight against cancer,” Armstrong stated.
Additionally, Armstrong was forced to withdraw from January’s Rotorua Triathlon in New Zealand due to a knee injury. “Unfortunately can’t make the tri in Rotorua,” he said via Twitter. “Dealing (again) with some knee issues and unable to run for now.”
So, will he return to tri or won’t he?
In an editorial piece, VeloNews editor at large John Wilcockson writes that Armstrong may be done with competing in all endurance sports competitively.
“And, logically, his retirement notice probably means he won’t return to triathlon, the swim-bike-run sport where his athletic career began with an Ironkids qualifying race in Dallas when he was 13 years old.”
Later in the article Wilcockson lays out his prediction for Armstrong’s near future:
“So bike racing is over. But should his knee injury clear up it’s possible we’ll see Armstrong running a marathon or two in the future, helping to raise more money to fight cancer. But for now he has a right to sit back, relax and reflect on an athletic career in which he was constantly winning races for a quarter century.”