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LANCE HITS VEGAS

Just like Elvis, Armstrong starts comeback in Nevada

Who would have thought I would witness Lance Armstrong's comeback race on a trip to Las Vegas? And what were the chances that it would be at a floodlit cyclo-cross event in the middle of a desert? Only in the USA…

Bike racing's biggest ever comeback officially kicked off at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York, when the seven-times Tour winner got to stand centre stage with Bill Clinton and Bono.

That was at 3pm last Wednesday-week and only Armstrong would want to ride a UCI international cyclo-cross race 2,500 miles away just five hours later. Okay, with the time difference it gave him about eight hours to play with, but it seems to be publicity at all costs as the Texan's comeback trail takes on presidential campaign proportions.

"I got beat up a little last night, which was great after such a long day," he confessed in his press conference the following morning. "About 20 minutes in I thought, 'Do I really want to be doing this?'"

But do it he did. In front of as many as 10,000 spectators he powered around in front of the second group for 22nd place, just a couple of minutes behind the winner.

Spare a thought for mtb and cyclo-cross legend Thomas Frischknecht, who had decided to make this his farewell event, but on the night was completely over-shadowed by the comeback king.

Meanwhile, over in Italy, Team GB were again showing they are a force to be reckoned with in the World Championships. Both our Under-23 men and women's squads set the races alight, culminating in Nicole Cooke gaining world champion's stripes to add to he Olympic gold medal.

In this week's Cycling Weekly we bring you news, photos and comment on both Lance's comeback and the World Championships. Plus, we bring you photos and news on all of the latest bikes and products on show at Interbike, Las Vegas.

Cycling Weekly October 2 issue is on sale from Thursday at WHSmith, major supermarkets and all good newsagents priced £2.50.

Robert Garbutt
Editor