The Return of Lance Armstrong
Amidst quickly spreading rumors of his imminent un-retirement, Lance Armstrong confirmed earlier this week that he will return to professional cycling for the 2009 season. As most people already know, Armstrong is a survivor of testicular cancer, a 7-time winner of the world’s most prestigious and grueling cycling event, Le Tour de France, and a global, Nike-branded icon that transcends sport. That said, he is also a polarizing figure of sorts, beloved in the U.S. for his triumphs, but viewed by some in Europe as a cheat who has thus far eluded testing positive for performance-enhancing substances — allegations of which Armstrong has steadfastly denied — or worse yet, an arrogant, headstrong, American cowboy.
Regardless of how you feel about Lance (or his gold-plated, rock-star celebrity status), it’s hard to deny that he won’t raise his sport’s profile. Indeed, in a discipline desperate to rebuild its credibility with the public after a series of doping scandals that took place at the highest levels of competition, his presence alone is guaranteed to attract additional sponsors, media scrutiny, and fan interest. This, in turn, will generate increased attention for cycling in general, a development we wholeheartedly support here at It Goes to 11, especially at a time when alternatives to gas-powered vehicles are becoming more appealing, popular, and necessary.
Whether Armstrong can come back and perform at his own lofty standards, remains to be determined; his coach and at least one ESPN.com columnist think he will.
Anyways, I pulled up some clips on Youtube of Armstrong at his best. Here he is showing off his incredible handling skills in a Nike-produced clip:
And here he is in another jaw-dropping sequence sporting the maillot jaune (that’s French for “the yellow jersey”), which is awarded at the end of each stage to the overall leader of Tour. It is, without doubt, one of the most coveted garments in the sporting world.
And while we don’t sell this jersey on our site, this is a convenient time for me to remind the cycling enthusiasts reading this that we have recently reproduced a pair of bike-related tees right here on our site. “Rad Racing” was featured in the 1986 BMX movie of the same name, while the “Cutters” tee comes from the 1979 classic Breaking Away, a tender coming-of-age story about a young Indianan teen who finds relief from his pragmatic, but loving father by immersing himself in the finer points of European road racing. It’s a sweet, inspirational flick that has become a huge cult classic in the years since its release.
As with all of our shirts, both of these designs are printed on soft, American Apparel tees; they have been carefully researched, with regards to font and color, and you won’t find a better version anywhere else on the web.
They won’t help you ride as fast as Lance, but they will designate you as a devoted spoke-head and make you the envy of your cycling-inclined friends.
