Lance grinding on the bike, Austin, Texas, September 2008. This officially qualifies as “Game Face”…

In an effort to quiet the rumor mill that’s sprung up in the past few weeks surrounding his unannounced return to the TOUR DE LANCE FRANCE in 2009, Supertouch buddy (and serious art collector) LANCE ARMSTRONG has just confirmed to the world that he will indeed be headhunting in the hills of France next summer looking for an unprecedented 8th victory, only this time, it’s not about him, the fame, OR the bike:

“I am happy to announce that after talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden. This year alone, nearly eight million people will die of cancer worldwide. Millions more will suffer in isolation, victims not only of the disease but of social stigma. After the passage of Proposition 15 in Texas, a $3 billion investment in the fight against cancer which is helping to make this disease part of the national dialogue in America, it’s now time to address cancer on a global level.” —Lance Armstrong

*Watch his video announcement HERE…

To add fuel to the fire, it should be noted that next year Lance will race for neither salary nor bonuses in an effort to maintain focus on the cause at hand, an epidemic that now claims more than 1,500 US citizens a day. The bionic man will discuss his cycling program and an international LIVESTRONG strategy on September 24th in New York City at the CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE. To date the Lance Armstrong Foundation has raised more than $260 million for the fight against cancer.

An exclusive new VANITY FAIR interview with Lance posted today takes an in-depth look at his return to cycling. Read it online HERE.

No, those calves aren’t injection-molded. Austin, Texas, September 2008…

(photos by Elizabeth Kreutz)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 at 11:27 pm and is filed under Icons & Legends, Lance Armstrong, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.