www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/sep05/sep06newsflash

Armstrong & Crow announce engagement

Lance back at Tour 2006?

Lance Armstrong has announced his engagement to his girlfirend, with whom he has been living for 18 months, rock star Sheryl Crow. Armstrong asked the question during a holiday last week spent at Tom Weisel's house in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he also went out mountain biking every day. "We've told family and friends, stuff like that," he said, adding that he discussed the move with his three children beforehand. The wedding could take place in spring 2006.

The seven-times Tour de France winner has also been contemplating a possible come-back at the French Grand Tour 2006 although the Texan retired from the sport just a few weeks ago. "I'm thinking about it," Armstrong told The American Statesman's Suzanne Halliburton. "I'm thinking it's the best way to piss (the French) off," he added, in response to French newspaper L'Equipe, which reported on August 23 that it had proof that Armstrong used the banned drug EPO in the Tour 1999, the first Tour the American won.

Armstrong, who denies the allegation firmly, said he entertained the idea for the past two weeks, since the publication of the paper initialising the controversy. When asked how serious he was about another Tour, Armstrong said, "I'm exercising every day." Armstrong is still in good shape and will participate in the Tour Of Hope from September 29 to October 8, 2005. He will also be part of the Discovery Channel's first team training camp for next season in early December in Austin, Texas.

Cyclingnews reached Discovery Channel sports director Johan Bruyneel in his team car at the Vuelta a Espana and he told us that "Yes, the quote from Lance in the Austin American Statesman is certain. You know, we had some retirement parties in Nice after the Tour and then Lance went back to the States and took it easy for a few weeks. Then he called me three weeks later and said 'I'm back on the bike... I'm getting bored and missing the exercise, the riding'."

Bruyneel explained that "I'm not excluding a comeback by Lance for 2006, but can't confirm anything until I talk to him. But it's not impossible."

It may not be the best way to piss the French off, but it's got to be in the top 5.    Pissing the French off is never a bad thing.

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