Lance Armstrong to End International Career in 2011 Tour Down Under
Lance Armstrong's last professional cycling race outside the United States will be January's 2011 Tour Down Under, race organizers said in a statement earlier today.
Lance Armstrong's last professional cycling race outside the United States will be January's 2011 Tour Down Under, race organizers said in a statement earlier today.
Armstrong chose the 2009 edition of the ProTour race to make his comeback to cycling after a two-year retirement and debuted his own professional team, Team RadioShack, in this year's race.
South Australian state Premier Mike Rann and race director Mike Turtur confirmed Armstrong's participation in the stage race, which runs from Jan. 16-23.
Rann said the race would give cycling fans the chance to "be part of history as Lance competes in his farewell ride as a professional on international soil."
The 39-year-old Armstrong is currently the focus of a federal investigation in the United States into doping in professional cycling. Armstrong, who won the Tour de France a record seven times, has repeatedly denied allegations he took performance-enhancing drugs.
The Tour Down Under is the first confirmed entry on his schedule for what likely will be his last competitive season.
"I'm excited to be competing in my last professional ride outside the U.S. at the Santos Tour Down Under," Armstrong said in a statement. "It will be my third time to the event and I'm sure I will enjoy it as much as I have the first two times.
"I will never forget the reception we received in Adelaide when we kicked off the Livestrong global campaign. I look forward to racing and also checking in on the progress in South Australia."
Cancer survivor Armstrong chose the 2009 Tour Down Under to launch his Livestrong campaign to battle cancer worldwide.