Budweiser gets better of Lance Armstrong as he abandons beer race

Banned cyclist Lance Armstrong was back racing last weekend – but the beer seems to have proved too much for him as he abandoned a running event that required him to quaff a can of Budweiser each lap just a quarter of the way through.

The 43-year-old was taking part in a four-lap beer race in his home town of Austin, Texas, which is due to host the first edition of the Flo Beet Mile World Championship, reports Runners World.

Some had anticipated that the Texan might be able to set an age group record at the event, which requires competitors to down a can of Budweiser at the end of each lap.

But it seems that Armstrong, who by his own admission rode and won seven editions of the Tour de France with his body pumped full of drugs, couldn’t do so with a can of lager inside him, let alone four, and said afterwards, “That was not what I expected.”

One fellow competitor, Patrick Hitchins, said: that Armstrong “drank Budweiser heavy from a 12 ounce can, no widemouth, following strict international beer mile standards.”

In a reference to one of the sponsors that dropped Armstrong after he was banned in October 2012, he added: “Perhaps his days with Michelob Ultra Lite put him at a disadvantage.

“He’s probably on his way to a gas station getting some Budweisers right now and practicing his chugging.

“He’s a competitor. I hope to see him out there again,” he added.

There's little doubt that Armstrong's competitive edge remains, but with the former US Postal rider excluded from sanctioned events, it seems clear he is now scraping round the fringes. Though possibly without added alcohol next time.