LANCE ARMSTRONG - ARMSTRONG HEALING QUICKLY FOR TOUR DE FRANCE

ARMSTRONG HEALING QUICKLY FOR TOUR DE FRANCE

Champion cyclist LANCE ARMSTRONG is determined to bid for his eighth Tour de France title in July (09), despite breaking his collarbone on Monday (23Mar09) after crashing during a race in Spain.
The 37-year-old star athlete was competing in the first stage of the Vuelta of Castilla and Leon event this week when he was involved in a multiple collision.
His team manager Johan Bruyneel has described the injury as "a clean fracture without complications", adding the break is not serious enough to prevent him from getting in shape for the prestigious competition.
It will be Armstrong's first attempt at reclaiming the title since retiring from the sport in 2005, having won the Tour de France for a record-breaking seven consecutive years. He returned to competitive cycling last year (08).
Armstong is also expected to recover from his injuries in time to compete in the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) race, which begins on 9 May (09).