Lance Armstrong Finishes 3rd in Tour de France
Should Armstrong Feel Disappointed for Not Winning?
Jul 27, 2009
The 2009 Tour de France is over and the winner is not who everyone in the United States had hoped it would be. Instead, it was Armstrong’s teammate Alberto Contador.
While it may not be the Disney ending that everybody wanted, Armstrong is still one of the greatest athletes ever, period.
A Brief History of Lance Armstrong
Four years ago, Armstrong won his seventh Tour de France in a row. The man was simply unstoppable. It appeared there would not be another Tour de France winner until Armstrong retired.
Armstrong did retire in 2005 stating that he wanted to spend more time with his children. However, it would only be a matter of time before Armstrong came back to professional cycling.
The Associated Press reported in September 2008 that Armstrong would be competing in the 2009 Tour de France.
Odds Stacked Against Armstrong
Armstrong was not competing professionally for four years and he still managed a podium finish. The Tour de France is one of the most grueling races the world has ever seen. It’s no fluke that Armstrong managed to secure a third-place finish.
Don’t forget, this is the same guy that overcame stage three testicular cancer, which by itself is a remarkable feat.
On top of being out of cycling for four years and overcoming cancer, Armstrong did all of this at the age of 37. You don’t see many athletes at that age compete on the same level as they did when they were in their prime.
Armstrong’s Drug Allegations
It’s no secret that there have been numerous allegations against Armstrong and his use of performance-enhancing drugs. However, Armstrong’s performance in this year’s Tour de France wipes away any possibility of Armstrong using these drugs.
Armstrong has repeatedly denied taking any performance-enhancing drugs. In March 2009, Armstrong was tested for the 24th time since returning in September 2008 and the results were negative.
Hopefully this performance will allow his critics to applaud him for being a remarkable athlete rather than scorn him for being a “cheater.”
Armstrong has gone out on the record saying he will be competing in the 2010 Tour de France. Does this mean he has to win in order to truly be regarded as a great athlete? Not at all and anybody that thinks that is completely out of their mind.
There will always be people questioning his drug use, that's a given. However, whether Armstrong finishes in 1st or 50th next year, he will still be considered one of the greatest athletes ever.
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