NEW YORK - Fans couldn't get enough of Lance Armstrong in the NewYork City Cycling Championship.
A wave of Lance-mania hit lower Manhattan during the inauguralevent as fans cheered and yelled his name each time they saw the four-time Tour de France champion.
More than 100,000 fans, including comedian Jerry Seinfeld, crowdedthe 1.2-mile route and were not disappointed even though Armstrongfinished 28th overall, in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 54 seconds.
He was 16 seconds behind winner Ivan Dominguez, of the Saturnteam, in the 62.5-mile road race.
"Lance is the king of the sport right now," said Gerard Bisceglia,chief executive officer of USA Cycling.
Fans waved signs supporting Armstrong and rang cow bells when theysaw him coming. One person waved a Texas flag in honor of Armstrong'shome state. The 62.5-mile race was Armstrong's first in the UnitedStates since winning the Tour title last week in Paris.
The course snaked through New York's financial district, takingriders past skyscrapers on Water Street.
Though the cyclists raced a few blocks away from the World TradeCenter site, Armstrong said it was hard not to think about whathappened nearly a year ago.
"This race was special in light of what happened a few blocks fromhere. You can't forget that," Armstrong said. "After 9-11, I wantedto come here to do something, a tribute, somehow, some way."
Armstrong had not participated in a race in New York until Sunday.The road race does not suit Armstrong's style since he is a mountainspecialist. He even joked about the condition of the streets.
"I've never seen pot holes like that," Armstrong said. "They're aswide as a car and deep as a swimming pool. Seriously, the surface wasnot that bad."
Joking aside, Armstrong is an inspiration to fans.
Even after the race was over, many people crowded outsiderestaurant windows where Armstrong gave a press conference a fewblocks from the course. They chanted, "Lance, Lance!" and he wavedback.
Even second-place finisher Vassili Davidenko from Russia, noticedthe tremendous turnout.
"It's unbelievable how many people there were today," Davidenkosaid.
Armstrong was one of six members of the U.S. Postal Service teamto race Sunday. Antonio Cruz was the top finisher from that team,finishing seventh.
Up next for Armstrong is a race in Italy on Saturday and one inSwitzerland a week later. His final race of the season is the 110-mile road race in San Francisco on Sept. 15.
He has his eye on winning a fifth-straight Tour de France nextsummer.
Perhaps his popularity and quest to win another Tour will inspirea new generation of cycling fans.
"I believe that sports revolve around athletes," Armstrong said."Look at what Michael Jordan did for the NBA and what Tiger Woods isdoing for golf. Without athletes, you can't have a kid who wakes upand says I want to be a cyclist."
AP-ES-08-05-02 0242EDT
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