Lance Armstrong has been in a life-long, slugfest with pain. Face to face they've had countless battles and Armstrong has won, every time. With his retirement from professional cycling, the old foes had fought their last battle, shook hands and gone their separate ways. Pain moved on to pick a fight with someone else. But Armstrong never lost sight of his enemy.
Like a long-retired heavyweight boxer, Armstrong has called for a rematch, one last fight. But if he wins the cash, it won't go in his wallet. Next July, at 37 years old, he will get back on his bike for one more dose of Tour de France torture, to rally the world into finding a cure for cancer.
The American's battle with the deadly disease was the one time pain nearly got the better of him. In his biography, Armstrong describes the sickly feeling as chemicals get pumped through the veins, part and parcel of a patient's chemotherapy ritual. But he doesn't want others to go through this torture anymore. As part of his quest to win his 8th Tour De France, he hopes to raise millions for cancer research. The message is simple: we must find a cure!
This guy is an inspiration for all. In terms of comeback stories, this rates among the best of them. But is there more to this comeback? Is Lance Armstrong going through a mid-life crisis?
You see, this tough Texan isn't a man that can sit on a deckchair and watch life go by. In the three years since his retirement, Lance kept himself busy running marathons, working the corporate speech scene, spending time with his three children. He moved on from his heartbreaking divorce and tried dating a singer, a fashion designer and an actress. That's enough to keep the average man's diary full, but Armstrong is no average man. He always craves more. He's never content.
Yes there are critics out there who still claim he won his seven tour titles with the assistance of drugs. And yes, Armstrong has those critics lined up in his sight. Because although finding a cure for cancer is the prime motivation for this comeback, silencing the doubters is a personal priority for "Tour De Lance". You can't help but think those French officials are choking on their croissants, dreading another year of Armstrong mania in the Pyrenees.
Rest assured there will be hundreds of campervans cheering Lance through every kilometre next year and he won't be just making up the numbers in the Peloton. This freak of nature will push his competitors harder and harder just like he's done before, and along the way, he'll introduce them to his old mate pain. I wouldn't miss this comeback for the world!
By Nick Marshall-McCormack, Sports Reporter for Seven News
