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Lance Armstrong is planning to race in this weekend's Tour de Gruene.
The quaint town of Gruene (pronounced 'green'), Texas, will host Lance Armstrong for the 25th anniversary of the Tour de Gruene. The silver anniversary event will not be the first time Armstrong has participated: he also jumped into the event's team time trial in 1996, teaming with Eddy Merckx just weeks after Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
This year's edition will incorporate, for the first time in its history, an individual time trial on Saturday to complement Sunday's TTT. On Saturday riders will embark on a 16-mile out and back course, snaking along the Guadalupe River, down the scenic, tree-covered River Road. The official start time for the individual event will be 3:00 p.m., with Armstrong set to roll off at 4:30 p.m.
The traditional two-man team time trial, won last year by Phil Wikoff and Pat McCarty, will be held Sunday on a 27.3-mile rolling loop, including a steep, grinding climb out of the river basin on the backside of the course.
McCarty and Wikoff will return to defend their title and are set to roll off at 9:58 a.m., three minutes before Armstrong and his teammate John Korioth. Korioth is Armstrong's longtime friend, riding buddy and business partner from Austin.
