AUSTIN, Texas — Lance Armstrong is ready to swear off the chips and salsa, climb back on the bike and win an eighth Tour de France.
Three years after retiring, the 36-year-old said he will return to competition and the Tour de France in 2009, giving up relaxed days of a few beers and Tex-Mex food for a self-described monk’s life of disciplined training and punishing races.
Armstrong called his comeback an attempt to raise global awareness in his fight against cancer. Just as likely, it’s also about his relentless desire to compete and win, especially at the Tour, the race he dominated with a record seven titles from 1999-2005.
Citing the slow pace of last year’s Tour and the rush from last month’s Leadville 100 race, Armstrong decided it was time to return.
“This kind of obscure bike race totally kick-started my engine,” he told Vanity Fair, referring to the lung-searing 100-mile mountain bike race through the Rockies. “I’m going to try to win an eighth Tour de France.”
Armstrong’s riveting victories over cancer and opponents on the bike, his work for cancer awareness and his gossip-page romances have made him a modern-day American icon.
Professional cycling and particularly the Tour have missed Armstrong’s star power, even though skeptics refused to believe he could win without the help of illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
This time, Armstrong’s determined to silence the doubters. He has even hired a video crew to chronicle his training for 2009, as well as his drug tests, for a possible documentary.
“There’s this perception in cycling that this generation is now the cleanest generation we’ve had in decades, if not forever,” said Armstrong, who has never tested positive. “And the generation that I raced with was the dirty generation. . . . So there is a nice element here where I can come with really a completely comprehensive program and there will be no way to cheat.”
Diagnosed in 1996 with testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain, doctors gave Armstrong less than a 50 percent chance of survival. Surgery and brutal cycles of chemotherapy saved his life. From there, it was determination and powerful self-discipline that led him back to the bike and his stunning 1999 Tour win.
Armstrong’s goal every year was to win the Tour. This time, he wants to win for his millions of supporters and more important, the 8 million who will die of cancer just this year.
Armstrong, who turns 37 next week, said he plans to train in Aspen in rigorous conditions similar to what he would face in Europe.
Only one rider older than 34 has won the Tour — 36-year-old Firmin Lambot in 1922.
Armstrong noted other athletes in his age range competing at a high level, specifically 41-year-old Olympic medalist swimmer Dara Torres.
“Ask serious sports physiologists and they’ll tell you age is a wives’ tale,” he said.
Armstrong said details of the comeback — such as a team and schedule — will be announced Sept. 24.
If Armstrong and his team aren’t invited to the Tour in 2009, he plans to appeal directly to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
“I’ve already put a call in to him,” Armstrong said.
