Great News for T D F Fans

[jobob]

On another note, once he finally does hang up his wheels can you see Armstrong turning Director Sportif

Good heavens, no, that's about the last thing I would envision him doing !

or do you think he'll head in another direction, perhaps promoting his Livestrong stuff further?

That's more what I'm thinking - that and promoting All Other Things Lance

[BikeMomma]

Hey Gals -

Regarding Paris-Nice, I just read this update (I'm sure he's bummed):

Armstrong drops out of Paris-Nice race

March 9, 2005
AP - Mar 9, 11:08 am EST

CRAPONNE-SUR-ARZON, France (AP) -- Six-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong dropped out of the Paris-Nice race after the event's third stage Wednesday, citing a sore throat.

Armstrong finished 99th in the stage, which was won by Spain's Vicente Reynes -- his first professional victory.

``Lance woke up this morning with a sore throat and with the cold weather, he began to feel worse throughout the day,'' manager Johan Bruyneel said in a release posted Wednesday on Armstrong's Discovery team Web site.

Bruyneel said Armstrong was returning to his home in Girona, Spain, for treatment.

``I will return to Spain to rest up and be back on the bike in a couple of days,'' Armstrong said in the release.

Reynes, of the Illes Balears team, completed the 73-mile stage from Thiers to Craponne-Sur-Arzon in 2 hours, 40 minutes, 51 seconds. Belgium's Tom Boonen retained the overall lead, three seconds ahead of Dutch rider Erik Dekker and four seconds ahead of Reynes.

Armstrong, who was using the event as a warm-up for his bid to win a seventh straight Tour de France title this summer, was in 62nd place overall after Wednesday's stage, 1:35 behind Boonen.

American riders Guido Trenti and Fred Rodriguez were second and third, respectively, in the same time.

The leg was shortened because of bad weather for the second straight day, with nearly 35 miles cut Wednesday. Armstrong was disappointed with the shortened stages.

``I came to do kilometers and start my season, but the weather said, 'No,''' he said.

Updated on Wednesday, Mar 9, 2005