Armstrong May Have to Learn to Lose with Grace

With the 2009 Tour de France just around the corner, all eyes will once again be on Lance Armstrong as he attempts to win his 8th title.

During the course of his incredible career, Armstrong has proved time and time again that he can not only handle the huge weight of expectation, but also that he’s not a man to be underestimated.

No one can doubt that he’s a super-human athlete. The manner with which he dominated arguably the toughest physical sport of them all was remarkable, and to bow out of cycling whilst at the very pinnacle was as classy as it gets.

And now he’s back at the age of 37 and bidding once again to take the ultimate prize in cycling. But this time around things seem very different.

The obvious question is whether it’s all a step too far; will he be strong enough to mount a serious challenge; will the training missed as a result of his broken collarbone earlier in the season take its toll, or will age simple catch up with him?

And that’s before we even consider his rivals: Contador, Sastre, Evans, Menchov, Andy Schleck, Leipheimer, and Basso, just to name a few, should all line up on July 4th. These are all seriously strong riders and each will be going flat out for victory.

Considering all of this, rather than ask if Armstrong still has it in him to be the best, perhaps a better question is what will happen if he doesn’t win?

One of the key motivations for Armstrong coming out of retirement was to further raise the profile of the LIVESTRONG Foundation. As one of the most high-profile and respected sportspeople in the world, and through his own experiences, he has inspired millions of people around the world and will continue to do so.

But his comeback season hasn’t gone as smoothly as it could. His actions and comments during the recent Giro D’Italia, for example, left a bad taste in the mouths of cycling commentators and fans alike. He was particularly vocal in criticising the course on certain occasions (given his senior status within the peloton perhaps he had an obligation to speak up), and his niggling remarks on Twitter at the time also rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way.

In some circles it seems that Armstrong is using up the good will he worked so hard to build up during his years at the top, which is a massive shame. In Italy he had the world’s media hanging on his every word, he had their full and undivided attention to talk about whatever he wanted to, but all he succeeded in doing was leaving them with the impression of a rider looking for excuses as to why he couldn’t perform to the level that was expected of him, and that he expected of himself.

Whether he leads from the front in the tour or finds himself off the back, he can’t allow his reputation to suffer further, especially as the face of his charity. Losing will not damage his reputation, as taking to the start line again after all he’s been through is heroic enough. However, it’s the manner with which he takes defeat that will be remembered.

It would be a travesty if in years to come he were to be remembered as much for the negativity surrounding his comeback as for his utter dominance.

Losing with grace is just as important as winning with humility and as the ultimate ambassador—on and off the bike—he needs to remind everyone that he knows how to do both.

Having said all of that, this is Lance Armstrong we’re talking about. As much as the odds seem to be stacked against him, it would take a brave man to write him off. And would any of us really be that surprised if he upset those odds one last time?