Armstrong Will Retire After 2005 Tour De France

Mon April 18 2005
Posted Apr 18, 2005
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POSTED: April 18, 2005 ATLANTA -- Cyclist Lance Armstrong has announced he's retiring after this year's Tour de France, a race he's won a record six times in a row. "I have decided the Tour De France will be my last race as a professional cyclist," he said at a news conference Tuesday. The 33-year-old Texan, who rides for the Discovery Channel team, said he wanted to spend more time with his family, especially his three children. He thanked his teammates, his team manager Johann Bruyneel, family and friends for their support during his career. Before Armstrong, no one had more than four straight or five overall Tour de France races. Armstrong's streak of six straight titles has made him a legend in the sport and an international celebrity. Armstrong's announcement came as a prelude to the Tour de Georgia, a race he won last year. The six-day, 648-mile event begins Tuesday in Augusta. Also Monday, U.S. Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton is expecting an arbitration decision in his blood doping case, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. With the decision - and a possible two-year suspension - imminent, Hamilton continued to deny wrongdoing.