LANCE ARMSTRONG SET TO RACE IN TOUR OF THE GILA.

Great news this morning for bike racing fans.

Overnight negotiations have cleared the road for international bicycling superstar Lance Armstrong and two members of Team Astana to compete in the Tour of the Gila.


State Tourism Advertising Director Richard Eeds tells us that officials with the International Cycling Union (UCI) had planned to enforce a federation rule that would have blocked Armstrong's team from participating.

Eeds said:

It is a rule that is apparently almost never enforced, but because Astana is a UCI sanctioned team they couldn't ride in a non UCI sanctioned event.

The Tour of the Gila race begins in Silver City on Wednesday and run several courses through Sunday.

Eeds is hopeful it will impact the local economy and good for state tourism:

The name New Mexico and Silver City is getting out there over and over. In a town that lost a lot of jobs (from the mines) and has 10% unemployment and the race almost cancelled this is very significant for Silver City.

It will be the first competition for Armstrong since he broke his collarbone last month.