News Item of the Day: The answer is yes. Lance Armstrong on Wednesday committed to riding for his seventh straight Tour de France victory this summer, according to an official statement. The 33-year old Texan also confirmed he would open his season with Paris-Nice before competing in the Tour of Flanders.
The American's 2005 racing schedule, announced by his Discovery Channel team, also includes the Tour of Georgia in the United States. "I look forward to achieving my goal of a seventh Tour de France (victory)," Armstrong, who claimed an unprecedented sixth title last year, told the Discovery Channel website. "I am excited to get back on the bike and start racing although my condition is far from perfect. "(We) will evaluate my fitness later this spring and possibly add some races to the calendar."
The chairman of the company which organises the Tour de France, Jean-Marie Leblanc, was pleased that Armstrong had decided to have another go at the world's most gruelling cycling race. "I knew that under the contract between Lance and his new sponsor Discovery Channel he would have to race in the Tour at least one more time, either in 2005 or in 2006," Leblanc said. "Lance has decided to take up the challenge now which is good."
Armstrong won six stages, including the team time trial, on his way to last year's triumph and was barely challenged, except by Italian Ivan Basso in the Alps stages. "I love Tour de France events which are open, with no clear favourite, but having one again is going to be exciting," Leblanc added.
Armstrong kept fans guessing about his plans for this season after Discovery Channel took over from US Postal as his team's sponsors with an official presentation in January. He had said that he wanted to focus on the spring races he had neglected so far, perhaps an attempt to prove he could have success in other races. "I've had contacts with (Discovery Channel team manager) Johan Bruyneel a few days ago which led me think that things were changing in our favour," Leblanc said. "Johan said that Lance wanted to enter either the Criterium, the Dauphine Libere or the Tour of Switzerland to prepare for the Tour de France."
Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer before his six victories, has won 23 stages in the Tour de France since first taking part in 1993.
The American's 2005 racing schedule, announced by his Discovery Channel team, also includes the Tour of Georgia in the United States. "I look forward to achieving my goal of a seventh Tour de France (victory)," Armstrong, who claimed an unprecedented sixth title last year, told the Discovery Channel website. "I am excited to get back on the bike and start racing although my condition is far from perfect. "(We) will evaluate my fitness later this spring and possibly add some races to the calendar."
The chairman of the company which organises the Tour de France, Jean-Marie Leblanc, was pleased that Armstrong had decided to have another go at the world's most gruelling cycling race. "I knew that under the contract between Lance and his new sponsor Discovery Channel he would have to race in the Tour at least one more time, either in 2005 or in 2006," Leblanc said. "Lance has decided to take up the challenge now which is good."
Armstrong won six stages, including the team time trial, on his way to last year's triumph and was barely challenged, except by Italian Ivan Basso in the Alps stages. "I love Tour de France events which are open, with no clear favourite, but having one again is going to be exciting," Leblanc added.
Armstrong kept fans guessing about his plans for this season after Discovery Channel took over from US Postal as his team's sponsors with an official presentation in January. He had said that he wanted to focus on the spring races he had neglected so far, perhaps an attempt to prove he could have success in other races. "I've had contacts with (Discovery Channel team manager) Johan Bruyneel a few days ago which led me think that things were changing in our favour," Leblanc said. "Johan said that Lance wanted to enter either the Criterium, the Dauphine Libere or the Tour of Switzerland to prepare for the Tour de France."
Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer before his six victories, has won 23 stages in the Tour de France since first taking part in 1993.
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