This Article is From Jan 23, 2011

Lance Armstrong ends international cycling career

Lance Armstrong ends international cycling career
Tour de France icon Lance Armstrong brought an end to his international cycling career when he completed the final stage of the Tour Down Under on Sunday.

Cancer survivor Armstrong won a record seven Tour de France yellow jerseys during his career, but failed to produce fireworks on what was his final professional race outside the United States.

Armstrong won no stages in the six-stage event, finishing outside the race's top 50 and almost six minutes behind 23-year-old race champion Cameron Meyer of Australia.

The 39-year-old American is still contracted to the RadioShack team, for whom he is scheduled to race in a number of multi-sport events.

Armstrong's participation in mountain bike races or triathlons could be determined, however, by the outcome of a federal probe launched following allegations that he doped regularly while racing with US Postal in 1999-2004.

Armstrong said last October that the Tour Down Under, where he launched his second comeback to the sport in 2009 - having retired after his seventh Tour de France win in 2005 - would be his final international race.

"I'm excited to be competing in my last professional ride outside the US at the Tour Down Under," Armstrong said in a statement on October 24.

"It will be my third time to the event and I'm sure I will enjoy it as much as I have the first two times."
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