He's Baaaaack!

We're reliably informed by a correspondent that Lance Armstrong, arguable the best that ever climbed on a bicycle, is coming out of retirement and will race in the Tour in 2009. It is rumored that he will ride for Astana and his old boss Johan Bruyneel although that is as yet unclear.

What makes this story interesting is that Floyd Landis' suspension for doping is up in 2009 and he may well ride in the Tour if he gets a berth with a team that gets invited. 

Floyd, the enfant terrible of cycling, has really got something to prove here. I'd like to see him kick ass and take names, artificial hip and all. 

Either way, the 2009 Tour just got a whole lot more interesting. 

It is the biggest road trip, soap opera and grand spectacle in the world -in July, anyway- and only Amaury Sport Organisation could pull it off. Every year the naysayers cavil against it as a viper's next of deceivers and scoundrels, but the Tour goes from strength to strength, if the folks along the roadside with their picnic hampers and umbrellas are any index.

Lemme see, where's my calendar?