Tour de France 2011: Will Lance Armstrong Be Missed from Competition?

Tour de France 2011 Goes on Without Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong will not be competing with in the 2011 Tour de France, which is sure to disappoint his many fans.

In the United States, the Tour de France will not be as heavily discussed or covered with Armstrong sitting at home and no American representing a legitimate threat to win the Tour.

Armstrong is the greatest rider of our era—there is no doubt about that—and even if he is the center of a doping scandal, he will still be remembered for his incredible comeback.

The Tour de France is not lacking stars as Alberto Contador is going for his third straight victory at the Tour de France, and international coverage of the Tour will not falter without Armstrong in the event.

However, there will not be nearly as many Americans tuning their televisions to Versus or NBC at 7:00 AM EST to get their Tour de France fix.  People were waking up early and turning their televisions on to watch Lance Armstrong capture the hearts of the American people.

He is no doubt an American icon and while the Tour de France will go on, Americans will miss seeing Armstrong race every July.  He won seven Tour de Frances, a record that is unmatched by any other rider, and a record that may remain that way for a long time.

For those that still plan on watching the Tour de France, Armstrong is planning on making an appearance this year, but as a spectator.  

According to Cycling News, Armstrong will host a RadioShack party in Paris and attend the final stage.

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