Armstrong considers shortened Giro d'Italia

By Gregor Brown

Lance Armstrong is considering an early stop in the Giro d'Italia, May 9 to 31, due to a possible early arrival of his fourth child. The due date of his new baby is the first week of June.

"I need to start thinking about that," he said to Cyclingnews when asked if he would stop the Giro early if his partner Anna Hansen delivered early.

"I guess a lot depends on how the race is shaping up. Anna and I need to have that discussion. Ahh... it is frustrating even to think about it. Neither scenario is a good scenario. I have my fingers crossed that it comes on time!"

Armstrong announced the pregnancy in December. He explained last week that they have not selected names for the baby, whose gender is unknown. He has three children with his ex-wife Kristin, a son Luke and twins Isabelle Rose and Grace Elizabeth.

Armstrong is back in Europe to race after three and a half years. He competed with team Astana in Milano-Sanremo on Saturday in Italy and will start in the Castilla y León today in Spain.

He will return home in Texas after the Spanish race, but come back to Europe for the Giro d'Italia. Armstrong will be back home for the birth of his child and then race the Tour de France.

"It is always hard to leave any of your kids. I have three bigger kids now, and that is not easy. For them the problem is eliminated a little bit because you can iChat and other things that give you that personal contact that is difficult with an infant. The three weeks [of the Tour de France] will go by quick and all the family will be over here at the end. All of them, all four of them."

Armstrong won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times. He retired after the seventh victory in 2005. He started his comeback to the sport this January with the Tour Down Under.