[originaltext] Six times defending Tour de France Winner Lance Armstrong in

Six times defending Tour de France Winner Lance Armstrong in the United States has hinted that he would retire from cycling at the end of this season (26) .
    The 33-year-old cancer survivor will be going for a record of seven victories in the cycling major event this year. But in an interview with a London newspaper, Armstrong says a loss in the Tour de France might spark thoughts of retirement. Though he says he could not imagine being retired 12 months from now (27) , he also says this could be his last year. Armstrong believes he could react to a loss in one or two different ways, as knowing he has passed his best time that it’s time for him to retire or that he has to try to win again.
    But the American cycling star makes no secret of the fact that he does not think there’ s a more difficult sporting event anywhere than riding in the Tour de France (28) . Armstrong compares it to a Marathon and Fl Race combined, saying it is dangerous and calling it three weeks of agony.