Lance's final glance
To have gone where nobody had gone before by winning seven Tours de France is in itself an unprecedented contribution to the sport of cycling. Lance Armstrong's legacy reaches even further.
The American's human story, his victory over cancer that led to the much more prosaic victories over the hardships of the Tour, is his greatest achievement.
That Armstrong became the most successful Tour rider in history after a near-fatal illness gave hope to millions and the yellow wristband worn by cycling fans around the world to help Armstrong's cancer foundation bears testimony to his leading role in that respect.
His mission as a spokesman for the millions affected by cancer worldwide will become even more time consuming now he has retired from the sport.
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Photograph: Getty Images | Text: Reuters