Armstrong visits wounded soldiers

Lance Armstrong's whirlwind 18-hour visit to Las Vegas ended with an unscheduled thank-you speech to wounded troops.

Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner, was on his way to McCarran International Airport on Thursday when he learned that the vets had just arrived at a private hangar as special guests of casino mogul Sheldon Adelson.

The injured troops were among the first to meet with Armstrong since his announcement on Wednesday that he's returning to competitive cycling. He will race for Astana, a Kazakhstan-based team.

"He thanked them for what they have done," said Armstrong's friend, Tom Kaplan, senior managing partner of Wolfgang Puck Restaurants.

While in Las Vegas for the Interbike cycling trade show, he appeared at his second news conference in 24 hours and found himself facing his biggest critic, a glaring Greg LeMond, who sat in the front row.

LeMond, a three-time Tour de France winner, raised questions about Armstrong's anti-doping program which is to be led by Don Catlin, who sat on the podium next to Armstrong.

According to published reports, LeMond asked Catlin if he planned to measure Armstrong's oxygen intake, power output and maximum aerobic capacity -- factors that could indicate doping.

Catlin, who ran the first anti-doping lab in the United States at UCLA for 25 years, replied that he was not an expert in those areas.

When Armstrong asked for other questions, LeMond said, "So the whole history has just been passed over?"

In an interview with The Associated Press after appearing with Armstrong, Catlin said he would test Armstrong for "everything that you've heard, and then probably some new ones."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Comedy Festival tickets go on sale today (www.comedyfestival.com), with a lineup that includes Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen DeGeneres, Tracy Morgan and Katt Williams. The festival is being held again at Caesars Palace, from Nov. 20-22.

MAY I RECOMMEND

Barry Manilow unveils his new show, "Ultimate Manilow: The Hits" at 8 p.m. today at the Las Vegas Hilton. It replaces "Music and Passion," which opened at the Hilton on Feb. 23, 2005, and featured a mix of his hits and songs by other artists. His new show primarily features his own hits, along with a new set and staging.

Tickets: $95-$225. Reservations: 732-5755

SIGHTINGS

Armstrong, after finishing 22nd among 94 in the Cross Vegas cyclo-cross race, dined at Wolfgang Puck's CUT restaurant in the Palazzo, where he stayed in the presidential suite on Wednesday. At dinner with Armstrong was Kaplan and fellow cyclist George Hincapie, who helped Armstrong win all seven Tour de France titles. Joining Armstrong at the news conference: cycling icon Eddie Merckx, Tyler Phinney, who finished seventh at the Beijing Olympics in the individual pursuit, and his father, Davis Phinney, the 1984 Olympic bronze medal winner in the men's 100-kilometer team time trial. ... Tito Ortiz, at CatHouse (Luxor) on Wednesday, celebrating the news that his girlfriend, retired porn queen Jenna Jameson, is expecting twins. She made it official on her MySpace page on Tuesday. ... Actor Ed Begley Jr., on a Burbank-to-Las Vegas Southwest flight Thursday with KVBC-TV, Channel 3, weather man Kevin Janison, in a conversation about electric bikes, according to a spy.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Right after (John McCain said he wants to postpone the first presidential debate) Sarah Palin said, 'That's OK -- I don't really need him, anyway.' " -- Jay Leno

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.