Internet rumours surfaced in September 2008, that Lance Armstrong would race again, and Armstrong confirmed this himself weeks later, announcing that his return was inspired by a desire not to win more tours but to raise global awareness about cancer. Since that announcement, bloggers and columnists alike have crammed cyberspace with speculation about performance-enhancing drugs, the validity of his past victories and his true motivations. In "Tour de Lance" Bill Strickland follows Armstrong's return to the 2009 season from January's Tour Down Under in Australia to the Tour de France in July. What drives someone to step into the glare of the spotlight after having walked away, after being showered with adulation? Is it ego? Is it boredom? Strickland explores the motivations and struggles of a cyclist's journey back in the peloton, and assesses Armstrong as a symbol of our culture: why is it that we love a comeback? Strickland's knowledge of the cycling world is second to none, making "Tour de Lance" a compelling book about competitive cycling and its complex dynamics.