The End of the Road for Lance?

I didn't get to see several stages of the Tour de France this weekend because of my trip to Indiana, but I kept somewhat caught up via tweets and quick glances at the news. One thing that caught my attention pretty quickly was when Lance Armstrong tweeted the following:

When it rains it pours I guess.. Today was not my day needless to say. Quite banged but gonna hang in here and enjoy my last 2 weeks.

So it sounds like, after dropping a number of places after yesterday's stage, he doesn't think he can win the Tour anymore. And this article tends to confirm it:

Armstrong,’s hopes for yet another title were dashed Sunday after he got caught in three crashes — one of which brought him down — and struggled to keep up during two tough climbs in Stage 8, the race’s first foray into the Alps. He and his team said his hip got banged up, keeping him from pedaling hard.

[...]“My Tour is finished,” said Armstrong, 38, who fell to 39th overall.

If it's true that there's no way he can win, it'll be unfortunate, although there are plenty of emerging young riders to keep everyone's interest for years to come. And I'm glad to see that Lance isn't considering dropping out, choosing instead to enjoy the next two weeks and support his teammates. But with everything that Lance has done in the past, can we really count him out?

Today's a rest day, but I plan on tuning in tomorrow to see what the Alps have in store for everyone.