Cyclist Armstrong honored

Tour de France winner named AP's male athlete of year

? For Lance Armstrong, 2003 was a year of personal and professional struggles and triumph.

Divorce divided his family. A crash, dehydration and some admittedly poor riding nearly cost him a record-tying fifth straight Tour de France title.

But just when his dominance of one of world’s most grueling sports events teetered near its end, Armstrong fought off Jan Ullrich of Germany by 62 seconds to put himself in position to become the first rider to win six in a row in 2004.

Sunday, Armstrong was honored as the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, the second straight year he has won the award voted on by sports writers and broadcasters.

“It was a tough year and hard Tour,” Armstrong said.

“Professionally, it was as successful as any year. Personally, it was very tough year, for more than just myself. I tried to work through it the best I could. The personal stuff is behind now.”

Armstrong and San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds were the top two finishers for the third straight year. Armstrong received 26 first-place votes and 174 points. Bonds had 10 first-place votes and 59 points.

Cancer-stricken Armstrong went from having a 50 percent chance to live in 1996 to four straight Tour championships 1999-02.

What made the 2003 victory so remarkable was that for the first time since his comeback, he seemed human again.

Lance Armstrong of Austin, Texas, claimed his fifth straight Tour de France last summer. Armstrong Sunday was named the 2003 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.

As a celebrity, his divorce from his wife, Kristin, the mother of their three children, made headlines. He is counting on returning to the Tour de France again next summer.