Armstrong Says He’ll Race in Another Tour de France

After recovering from the rigors of his sixth consecutive Tour de France victory, Lance Armstrong announced plans to race for the yellow jersey again.

“I’ll definitely be back to the Tour,” Armstrong said Friday, shortly before participating in a parade in his honor in his adopted hometown of Austin, Texas.

In his first public comments in the United States since his July victory in France, Armstrong again suggested that he could focus on other cycling races in 2005. He did not say if his next Tour de France would be next year or 2006.

The 32-year-old Armstrong also suggested that he may not ride beyond 2006.

“I think I have another year or two in me. That’s not just a random number. It’s what I think that my body can stand,” he said.

Tennis

French Open champion Anastasia Myskina left the Idea Prokom Open in Sopot, Poland, without explanation, forfeiting her semifinal match against Klara Koukalova.

The top-seeded Myskina will explain her decision at a news conference today. The match eventually was rained out along with the entire day’s program.

Tournament officials could not be reached for comment, but Myskina was not listed on the official schedule for today’s semifinals.

The other semifinal pits ninth-seeded Flavia Pennetta against Marta Domachowska.

Motor Racing

A wet track from earlier rain in New York prevented qualifying at Watkins Glen International, giving NASCAR Nextel Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson the pole for Sunday’s Sirius at the Glen.

Jeff Gordon will start second in a field set by car-owner points.

Johnson holds a 97-point lead over Gordon with five races remaining until the standings for the top 10 are reset at five-point intervals for the final 10 races to decide the Nextel Cup title.

Bobby Hamilton Jr. won the pole for today’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Superspeedway. Hamilton, driving a Dodge, turned a lap at 160.990 mph and broke Mike Bliss’ record of 157.332 mph, set in August 2002.

Sebastien Bourdais earned a front-row spot for Sunday’s Champ Car World Series Grand Prix of Denver, winning the provisional pole in a track-record 1 minute 0.413 seconds (98.740 mph) in his Ford-Cosworth.

Golf

Jane Park of Rancho Cucamonga defeated Beth Allen of San Diego, 4 and 2, to advance to the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Erie, Pa. She will play Sarah Huarte of Shingle Springs, Calif. Huarte beat Morgan Pressel of Boca Raton, Fla., 1 up.

In the other semifinal, Paula Creamer of Pleasanton, Calif., will play Amanda McCurdy of El Dorado, Ark. Creamer defeated Diana Ramage of Fayetteville, Ark., 3 and 2. McCurdy defeated Sun-Young Yoo of South Korea, 3 and 2.

Hockey

Defenseman Scott Niedermayer of the New Jersey Devils was awarded a record-tying $7-million contract for next season by an NHL arbitrator.

The award matches the contract given to Philadelphia Flyer forward John LeClair in 2000.

Miscellany

North Carolina State has reassigned assistant strength coach C.J. Hunter because of his connection to the investigation of alleged steroid use by track and field athletes, including his former wife, sprinter Marion Jones.

Athletic Director Lee Fowler said Hunter was moved to another position in the athletic department “after evaluating recent allegations” involving the former world champion shotputter.