Lance Armstrong's life was going really, really well. He had just completed his seventh straight Tour De France win after a very public successful fight with cancer.

And then things came crashing down when the French newspaper L'Equipe claimed he used pharmaceuticals to boost his performance.

How to battle the onslaught of negative publicity? It took more than wearing a yellow Livestrong band this time. First he pushed ahead with a quick engagement announcement with Sheryl Crow.

Now he's replacing his drug use headlines with rumors of returning to the race.

"While I'm absolutely enjoying my time as a retired athlete with Sheryl and the kids, the recent smear campaign out of France has awoken my competitive side," Armstrong said. "I'm not willing to put a percentage on the chances, but I will no longer rule it out."

He will also not rule out (smartly) listening to his publicist. Well played, Lance, well played.