If you haven't heard, Lance Armstrong is coming back to the pro peleton.
He's racing the Tour, but before you fall asleep, he's also doing a whole slew of races he never touched in the past, which is cool. My initial skepticism of his comeback (move over old man, the new generation is here...) has somehow morphed into rapt fascination, mostly fueled by his embrace of media and his own star power. Lance is huge, and I'm only now beginning to understand the true effect he has on people outside cycling. Check out comments on his Livestrong.com site for a cross section of America and the world. If anything I'd say he's more popular outside cycling, regular people look up to him as a genuine hero, not just as a bike racer.
As if the total blanket of Lance coverage provided by everyone from Velonews to Vanity Fair isn't enough, true fans can follow his up to the instant Twitter feed, which he seems to update at least a few times every day. Its a fascinating look inside the life of a sports hero who started out as another strange biker type wearing tights and evolved into a global phenomenon. He updates on everything from what music he's rocking to a picture of the Nike plaster mold of his foot. Its a bit like the whole world is being invited to be a fly on the wall in his crazy comeback. If his enthusiasm toward sharing his life through new media like this holds up, we're in for an unprecedented, behind the scenes view of the 2009 racing season. I can't wait.
Also worth checking out is Elizabeth Kreutz' photo album entitle 'Lance's Comeback' for some amazing images. Above is a portion of one of her photos.
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