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| Lance Armstrong, second left, six-time winner of
the Tour de France, autographs a baseball for George Louis Diaz,
right, New York Stock Exchange supervisor of floor operations, after
Armstrong rang the NYSE opening bell, Thursday April 7, 2005, in
conjuction with the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope cycling tour.
(AP) |
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 Thursday at a Central Park
appearance to support New York's 2012 Olympic bid. "I am still thinking
about that."
Comments Armstrong, 33, made to Italian media last week that he missed
his kids and the pressure was taking a toll on him fueled speculation that
this year's Tour de France would be his last.
"Four more months and it's over." he 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 backpedal 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 apologize 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."
(BBC) | 
Updated: 2005-04-08 14:32
