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| AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco http://espn.go.com/olympics/triathlon/story/_/id/7569815/lance-armstrong-runner-panama-triathlon |
February 2012 will be a month that Lance Armstrong will never forget. On February 3rd, U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. announced that the Federal Government will close its high profile doping investigation on Armstrong. The seven-time Tour de France champion could have faced criminal charges had the case continued and ruled against him. But, without any explanation the case was dropped, as well as any affixed legal punishments. So, guilty or not, he is clear as far as the feds are concerned. Three days later, on February 6th, one of his arch-rivals, Alberto Contador, received a two year cycling ban (really six months) for testing positive for clenbuterol, a performance enhancing drug. As such, Contador was stripped of his 2010 Tour de France and 2011 Giro d'Italia victories. This was the guy who Lance couldn't beat when he made his Comeback 2.0. I'm sure he felt a little satisfaction in seeing one of his enemies get taken down. Then just this past weekend, on Sunday, Mr. Armstrong ended up taking second place in his first professional triathlon at a half Ironman in Panama. He barely lost in the final moments as Bevan Docherty, an olympic silver medalist, overtook him on the run to beat him by 31 seconds. In interviews after the race he indicated that he "played it conservative." I bet a few of the pro-triathletes feel embarrassed for losing to a conservative Armstrong in his pro-race debut. With over half the month still remaining, the feds off his back, his doping rival banned, and his first pro-podium finish in a tri, it will be interesting to see if his streak of good fortune will continue?
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