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SPORTS ZONE 2: Armstrong AP Male Atlhete of Year

For the second straight year, the Associated Press (AP) dubbed cyclist Lance Armstrong the Male Athlete of The Year. "It was a tough year and hard Tour," said Armstrong, who is now positioned to be the first person to win six Tours in 2004. "Professionally, it was as successful as any year. Personally, it was a very tough year, for more than just myself. I tried to work through it the best I could. The personal stuff is behind now." Armstrong received 26 first-place votes, while runner-up Barry Bonds received 10; Lance's 174 points greatly dwarfed Bonds' 59. Nevertheless, Armstrong took stock of the San Francisco Giants Slugger's ability: "Oh, man, I couldn't hit a baseball," he reflected.

Armstrong, who finalized a divorce from his wife, and mother of three children, Kristen, faced many hardships in 2003, making his eventual Tour victory seem all that more amazing. Plagued by motivated competition, aches and pains too numerous to count, poor riding weather, and a mountain stage highlighted by a more than a couple violent falls, many began to lose faith in the stalwart Armstrong. Eventually, he would prevail, beating runner-up Ullrich by a mere sixty-two seconds. Ullrich, who has never won the Tour (thanks to Lance) has been a five-time runner-up. He is no doubt Armstrong’s biggest competitor in 2004.

Already among the cycling elite, Armstrong shares the record of five Tour victories with Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Bernard Hinault and Jacques Anquetil. Nonetheless, only Armstrong and Indurain won five in a row. "It's not like they suddenly stopped at five," Lance reflected. "They all tried and I intend to do the same. I'm excited about it and I'd be very upset if I lost."

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