CULTURE: Armstrong Retires— for Real This Time?

Lance Armstrong is embarking upon "Retirement 2.0," as he calls it. Retirement 1.0 came in 2005, after his seventh consecutive Tour de France win. His comeback, which began in 2009, failed to produce an eighth win, but he tells the AP that even though "I really thought I was going to win another tour," he has no regrets: "It's been an excellent ride." So will he attempt another comeback in a few years? "Never say never," Armstrong says—but then adds, "Just kidding."

Armstrong, 39, finished 65th in his last competitive race and 23rd in his last tour. What will he do with all his new-found free time? Spend time with his family, continue to raise money for his Livestrong Foundation, and lobby for cancer research. But though he's now leaving the sport, he can't leave behind the accusations that he used performance-enhancing drugs. A federal investigation into the use of PEDs in cycling is ongoing, but lawyers say any potential indictments are a long way off.