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Football4Profit: News- Tour de France: Lance Armstrong Returns

Lance Armstrong has surprised the athletic and gambling communities with his announcement that he’ll be coming out of retirement to compete in the 2009 Tour de France. Bookmakers have been hesitant to make offers on his chances of coming in the top 3, disagreeing and altering rates as more information comes in. The American has said he’ll be coming back to the competition in order to increase global awareness of the battle against cancer. The return comes as a tremendous surprise to the event, as Armstrong won the Tour de France a record breaking seven times consecutively. His retirement and time away from the race may be his biggest obstacle. Graham Sharpe, speaking on behalf of William Hill, said, “Lance dominated the race for years, but it is never easy to come back from a prolonged absence. However, if anyone can do it, Armstrong is the man.” Hills was offering 3/1 odds ‘with a run.’ Originally, Paddy Power and Bet 365 strongly differed with 16’s and 14’s respectively. They’ve since adjusted to be more in line with Hills: Bet 365 is now at 11/2 and Paddy Power 9/2. Stan James was offering an impressive 13/2 for a win, claiming his chances were not so impossible.

            “It would be one of the great sporting achievements if he were able to win the race after an absence of 3 years. Although if anyone can do it, surely it is the great Armstrong who has fought and beaten cancer,” said Charlie McCann, for Stan James. Armstrong’s absence is not the only quotient working against him: there is also the matter of age. September 18^th will mark his 37^th birthday which means if he were able to manage a win, he’d break yet another record as the oldest winner of the Tour was 36-year old Belgian Firmin Lambot. He won in 1922. Not only was Lambot the oldest, but also the only winner over the age of 34. Armstrong himself has acknowledged the differences the years have made, saying,” …I’m not going to lie. My back gets tired quicker than it used to and I get out of bed a little slower than I used to. But when I am going, when I’m on the bike, I feel just as good as I did before. Older athletes are performing very well. Ask serious sports physiologists and they’ll tell you age is a wives’ tale.” With the admission, however, he also made mention of older athletes’ successes, such as 41-year old Olympian and medalist Dara Torres. Armstrong win his first of seven Tour de France victories in 1999, less than 3 years after his diagnosis of having testicular cancer. His decision to return to the race this year was published first in Vanity Fair magazine. Bookmaking firm Sky Bet has offered even money that the Texan will finish in the top 3, as well as to win a stage. They propose 7/4odds that he’ll wear the yellow jersey at some point. Armstrong has yet to announce what team he will rise for. The website of cycling Velonews made the inference that it may be Astana, though manager Johan Bruyneel denied it saying, “ I don’t know where the rumours come from.”

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