Wishful Thinking?

An unnamed, high-ranking French official (perhaps on of John Kerry's friends) announced that Lance Armstrong would not return to the Tour de France next year.

If he wins for a record sixth consecutive year Sunday, as seems very likely, Armstrong will not return next year, the official said, but will instead focus on at least one of the two other big Tours, the Giro d'Italia in May and the Vuelta a España in September, and several one-day classics.

Armstrong, the defending champion, had already informed the Tour organizers of his plan, said the official, who did not want to be identified.

That assertion was denied Thursday by Bill Stapleton, Armstrong's agent and the chief executive of Tailwind Sports, which owns Armstrong's Postal Service team.