Lance Armstrong Returning to Tour?

The latest speculation surrounding Austin athlete, bar owner, and above average lovemaker Lance Armstrong is that he's planning to come out of retirement and race again the Tour de France.

Says ESPN:

Seven-time champion Lance Armstrong will come out of retirement and compete in next year's Tour de France, VeloNews reported Monday, citing sources close to the situation...
He will compete in the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia, the Dauphine-Libere and the Tour de France. The sources told VeloNews that Armstrong will receive no salary or bonuses.

Armstrong, 36, last raced in 2005, and has since spent his "golden years" running marathons and promoting his mega nonprofit. The free time may be getting to him, though, as evidenced by his minor tantrum last February at the Backstage Bar.

For now, most folks close to the seven-time Tour champ are keeping mum about his recent decision, but a big feature story in the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair is expected to shed some light. We're still not sure how this might affect his chances of running for the governorship in 2010.

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