Lance Armstrong came back with a vengeance to crush his first time trial since his return to professional cycling and win it by over 2 minutes.
According to the San Antonio Express:
"Lance Armstrong seemingly disappeared into a swarm of fans that
engulfed him and his bike at the start of the 25th annual Tour de
Gruene on Saturday.
Hundreds of fans swooned. They waived signs that said things like “Go Lance! Win!” and “Go Lance #1.” Cameras and phones flashed at every corner.
All of that adoration caught Armstrong by surprise, especially on the homestretch of the 16-mile time trial race. As he passed Crossing 1, cowbells clanked, yellow Tour de France flags shook violently in the air, and seemingly everyone yelped and cheered in unison.
“I wasn't really sure what to expect,” Armstrong said. “Oh man, the crowds were super. It's hard suffering through the race but when you have people there being supportive, it makes the suffering a little more bearable.”
Armstrong, 37, finished with a race-best 33:14, almost two minutes faster than his nearest competitor, Erick Benz, but he was still critical of his performance.
“Overall I would say I was moderately pleased,” said Armstrong, who was in his signature yellow jersey for the race. “I wasn't ecstatic.”
Armstrong excited fans with talk of a comeback. He said in published
reports that he was unsure whether he was going to race in the 2009
Tour de France. Then he said he would."
Click HERE to see the photos of Armstrong Racing
