ARMSTRONG to finish season at home

<br>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Three-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong will end his 2001 season at the San Francisco Grand Prix on Sept. 9, a rare appearance in an American race by the world's

Wednesday, August 15th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Three-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong will end his 2001 season at the San Francisco Grand Prix on Sept. 9, a rare appearance in an American race by the world's top road cyclist.

It will be Armstrong's first race in the United States since April 2000, according to a statement released by race organizers.

``I'm really excited to compete on home soil,'' Armstrong said from Spain, where he's preparing for the Aug. 20-24 Tour of Burgos.

``San Francisco is one of my favorite cities in the world and a perfect city to host an international cycling race,'' Armstrong said. ``I know the course is going to be really tough. I'm looking forward to the climb on Fillmore Street.''

The 125-mile (201-kilometer) race is co-produced by Threshold Sports and Tailwind Sports, the company that manages Armstrong's United States Postal Service trade team.

Armstrong will be joined by eight Postal Service teammates, including Tour de France support riders George Hincapie, Tyler Hamilton, Viatcheslav Ekimov and Steffen Kjaergaard.