Versus stands to benefit if Lance Armstrong, seven-time winner of the Tour de France, mounts a comeback after retiring in 2005, TelevisionWeek reports, citing a report on the bicyclist’s career plans by ESPN. Having Mr. Armstrong back in the race would boost the cable channel. For Mr. Armstrong’s last race, Versus’ live morning coverage of the world’s most prestigious bike event pulled a 0.8 rating and 607,251 viewers. This year’s race, marred by doping suspensions and lacking Armstrong’s star power, averaged a 0.3 rating and 267,722 viewers, the newspaper says. ESPN’s report cited VeloNews in its report, and Variety Fair will discuss Armstrong’s comeback in its next issue.
—Greg Baumann