The story of Lance Armstrong is so well known I will not repeat it here. When he retired from professional road cycling in 2005, after securing 7 consecutive Tour de France wins, many felt that he would never return to the sport. I thought it wise that he was exiting the sport while still riding the crest of the wave, and not hanging onto the glory only to watch it slip from his grasp over time. Many people who occupy the higher echelons of a sport or a profession, find it hard to let go when the time comes to make way for those whose time is waxing, while theirs is waning. This person then acquires an air of tragedy tinged with comedy when their position is usurped by the younger and more able-bodied competitors in their field. Far better, in my opinion, to exit gracefully and to be remembered as a king instead of a "has been".

When it was announced that Lance would participate in the 2009 TDF, I was however confident that he would not re-enter the sport after an absence of 4 years, if he did not feel that he could achieve. He has beaten cancer and tremendous personal and physical odds, and his competitive nature is well known – as he himself says, he saw the fight against cancer as a race that had to be won. He is also extremely astute and I did not believe he would set himself up for failure and humiliation.

Will Lance achieve a podium position?

I assessed a horary chart as I wanted to enjoy the 3 weeks of the televised TDF. It is one of the highlights in my sporting calendar, having been involved in sport, and specifically in the world of cycling. If I knew that Lance was going to be humiliated, I at least would have been prepared for his failure (he is one of my sporting icons), and I would have found another temporary favourite to “follow” during the race - maybe I am fickle. The chart was set on 4 July 2009, 2.43pm, Johannesburg SAFR, 4Sag18 Ascendant. In a sporting horary, house placement and combustion are the most important factors, and reception by exaltation can point towards a psychological advantage for the one being exalted. However, it is all things being equal, and due to harsh astrological lessons I have learnt in the past, I added a healthy dose of realism to my delineation. In horary it is imperative that the correct question is asked, and this can only be done if the situation itself is understood by the astrologer. Failure to understand the circumstances surrounding the event or person in question (the quesited,) can lead to a technically perfectly delineated chart providing a nonsensical answer, as the question posed was nonsensical in light of the circumstances. The golden rule is to keep your wits about you and to apply a healthy dose of logic. I therefore asked whether or not Lance would attain a podium position in Paris, not whether or not he would win, as I felt that after his absence from the sport his chances of an outright win were diminished, and the chart proved that my logic was correct.

The delineation

In the chart Lance is Lord 1, Jupiter, posited in the angular 4th. The opponents are Lord 7, Mercury, posited in the unfortunate 8th. Immediately, simply by assessing the house placements of the significators, we can see that Lance has an advantage over his competitors by house placement, which bodes well for our favourite for a podium win. Although the antiscion of Jupiter is posited in the 12th and the antiscion of Mercury in the 7th, these placements cannot over ride the placements of the planets themselves, but they are worth noting. Mercury is Under the Sun’s Beams and is applying to combustion, another negative factor for the opponents. Mercury is also in a partile opposition to Pluto which adds a highly malefic undertone to Mercury. Yes, Jupiter is retrograde, but accidental dignities, other than the two main ones mentioned, are not major criteria, they are however worth casting our eye on.

The retrogradation of Jupiter showed me that the question I had posed was logical, Lance would not win the TDF, but he would secure a podium position. A retrograde planet denotes that the thing or person represented by that planet is going against its nature. After watching the TDF I understand what this retrogradation was depicting - Lance rode uncharacteristically against his usual nature. He was not the aggressive Lance of four years ago, he showed more patience and enhanced wisdom, and I watched as he bided his time, waiting to strike on the essential stages where he would secure his podium position.

Minor testimony

The partile conjunction of Jupiter to Neptune shows the joy that many felt to see him racing again, and the complete lack of goodwill on the part of others towards his return; it can also denote unrealistic expectations on the part of Lance himself or by others. Mercury exalts Jupiter as it is in Cancer, so the fear and trepidation felt by his opponents, even the main opponent for the leadership role within his team, is clearly depicted – a strong psychological advantage for Lance. The fixed star of Graffias on which the Ascendant is posited denotes success and fame for Lance but there is a sting in the tail and possibly some regret. I believed this regret would be when he stood on the podium in a position other than 1st – after 7 consecutive wins, no matter how unrealistic it may have been to expect an outright win, the incredible achievement of a top 3 still had to be bitter sweet. The close aspect of Jupiter to the malevolent Mars in detriment also warned of some bodily injury, but possibly this would only manifest after he had pushed his body to its limits over the course of the 21 days.

This could also indicate the loss of one of his generals, Levi Leipheimer, who exited the race after stage 12 with a broken wrist, or the internal friction within the team which the press alluded to. The Moon who has face somewhat strengthens the 1st house and her placement on Antares I found to be of interest, albeit a minor one. A cycle had ended when Lance retired from the sport 4 years ago, highlighted again by this Moon on Antares affecting the 1st house – his reign as the King of the Mountains (Regiomontanus) was over, heralding the end of an era on many levels. There are many outstanding sportsmen in all the various disciplines, but there are only a handful who possess the charisma of a man like Lance Armstrong. Being top dog in your field is somehow not enough to endear you to people, or to create excitement amongst the followers of the sport.

Conclusion

On 26 July Lance Armstrong finished 3rd in the 2009 Tour de France, his podium position achieved, and this after a 4 year break from competitive cycling. At the age of 37 he has proven once again that he is most worthy to lay claim to the many titles that are bestowed on him – he is truly, for a variety of reasons, one of the greatest sportsmen of our time. The two cyclists who finished before him were 11 and 13 years younger than him, and what he achieved in this 2009 event is remarkable. Who knows what will transpire if he returns to the sport full time and competes in the 2010 Tour de France.