Two professional cycling items hit the major newswires yesterday….

Lance Armstrong to retire after 2005 Tour de France.

I wasn’t particularly surprised or saddened by the news. Armstrong had been hinting at this since early spring. Most talking heads outside of the cycling community are lamenting the loss of American’s great cycling hope, but those in the know understand that George Hincapie (Armstrong’s teammate) has become a force in the Spring Classics, and Bobby Jullich remains a contender in the TdF. I would have enjoying watching Armstrong become a Classics rider (as many TdF winners have done) later in his career. Just imagine the Texan fighting for a win on the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix.

Tyler Hamilton has been suspended for two years.

Hamilton failed a blood doping test at last year’s Vuelta d’Espana, and also failed a test after his gold medal ride in the Olympic time trial (though that test was discounted due to mistake in handling Hamilton’s B sample). Hamilton will, of course, appeal the ruling, and regardless of the outcome, Hamilton’s career will doubtless have an asterisk beside it. Two years ago, Hamilton was a critics darling for finishing fourth in the TdF after breaking his collarbone in the opening stages.

Posted on 19 April 2005