Lance Armstrong RETIRING....

Ohhhh crumbs. Gotta love the guy. He will retire. Lance (The Man) Armstrong has just announced the 2005 Tour de France will be his last professional race.

I have been familiar with him for years, but last summer was my first 'fanatic' watching of The Tour. I'd get up in the middle of the night to see the action in Europe "live" instead of edited versions for viewing later in the evening.

My desktop screen saver is still the picture of him taken at one of the finish lines and posted for downloading at the official team site (thepaceline.com) last July. I stayed up all night one night during the Tour reading his book, "It's Not About The Bike." Bought "Livestrong" wrist bands and purchased the great picture book, "images of a champion" with photos by Graham Watson and a foreword by one of Lance's biggest fans, Robin Williams. It was a Lance-intenstive July last year. My favorite acquisition is a Tour Du Pont poster from 1996 signed by Lance and all his team members at the time. It hangs on the dark green wall of my 'very groovy room' I created at the back of my garage.

I will miss him. Millions will miss him. I'll enjoy the hell out of the TdF this July, whether he wins it or not. And wish him all the best and more in what ever he chooses to do with his future. Really great people are rare nowadays. He rises to the level of greatness in his field of biking and in his humanitarian endeavors.

Sigh.