| The Tour de France will never be the same without him. With Lance Armstrong out of the equation, cycling fans can now expect suspense and competition in next year's race. After grinding across Europe's steepest roads again and building an unassailable record of seven straight Tour titles, Lance bid the race adieu in 2005. The champ has single-handedly elevated cycling from a niche sport to an American pastime, drawing 1.7 million viewers to his last race, the most-watched program in the history of the Outdoor Life Network. The sport became synonymous with the Plano native in the yellow jersey. "I'm no fool. I know people forget about sports people," Lance told reporters after his last victory. "I know my time is up." www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-dummytext_1221edi.ART.State.Edition1.1daa2458.html
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