Tour de France - Against All Odds, Armstrong Places Third

At almost 37, with seven Tour de France titles under his belt and just nine months of training after a three year hiatus, Lance Armstrong managed a position on the podium on Sunday. The legendary cyclist placed third in the 2009 Tour de France, behind now two-time winner and Astana teammate Alberto Contador and Andy Schlek of Saxo Bank.

After a decade long career and a stint with cancer, Armstrong announced his retirement almost 4 years ago; then, in late 2008, the American announced his return to cycling and his participation in 5 road races in 2009 – including, of course, the Tour de France.

A few months later, in March of 2009, a pileup at Vuelta Castilla y Leon left the yellow jacket winner with a broken right clavicle, an injury that didn’t prevent the long-time cyclist from participating in cycling’s most prestigious event a few months later.

And then, the Tour de France itself: covering over 2000 miles, the race extends from Monaco through to Spain, climbs up the Pyrenees, travels up to northeastern France and to the Alps, then drops to a much-hyped Mount Ventoux before ending along the Champs-Elysees in old Paris.

The race was not an easy one for Armstrong, who finished in 85 hours, 54 minutes, and 9 seconds – almost 5 ½ minutes behind Contador, this year’s yellow jacket winner.

But even in his loss, Armstrong could not fail to draw admiration. The French press, long hostile to the American champion, lauded his third place win. At almost twice Contador’s age, it’s not surprising that the massive crowd assembled in Paris felt a bond with Armstrong; red-faced during the grueling climbs that marked the final stage of the Alps, Armstrong struggled to keep up with his younger competitors. And in stage 17, he failed.

But not for long.

Armstrong proved his worth in stage 20, on the dreaded Mount Ventoux. A long arduous climb that ended with an uphill finish, Mount Ventoux was the make-or-break stage of the Tour, right before Sunday’s finish. Armstrong rode well, despite the jab attacks aimed at him by the Schlek brothers. The attacks had worked last Sunday, when Armstrong was left behind with Bradley Wiggins while Contador and Andy and Frank Schlek took the lead. Saturday, however, Armstrong withstood the assault both mentally and physically, guaranteeing his spot the following day.

“I’m realistic, I did everything I could,” Armstrong said before the race’s finish. “For me, and even more for my kids, it’s probably a healthy thing for them to see, because they saw their dad that never lost, and the kids in their class [say] ‘your dad never loses,’ so it’s good for them to see Dad get third and still be cool with that and still be happy.”

How happy Armstrong was, however, is up for question. On the podium, he seemed less than pleased, particularly with Contador, his Astana teammate, to whom he afforded only a hasty handshake.

Contador, who won the yellow jacket in 2007, alluded to tension within the team. As speculation grew over which man would lead Astana, hostilities grew between the team’s leaders. At the end of the race, Contador – who, it must be said, more than deserves his spot as number one – said, “We are totally incompatible. In the end, Armstrong will go his way, and I’ll go mine.”

Contador is correct. Armstrong will be beginning his own US-based team for next year’s racing season, RadioShack. There are rumors that longtime Astana manager Johan Bruyneel will join Armstrong.

Armstrong was able to prove that, despite his age, he is still in the race, and still looking for his yellow jacket. And with another year of training – and no injuries – who knows? Armstrong might manage an 8th Tour de France title. What is certain, however, is that next July is going to provide a very interesting race.