Pro cyclist Armstrong goes for ... gold

How tempting an investment is gold these days?

Tempting enough to lure a gold-standard athlete – three-time Tour de France race winner Lance Armstrong – to bank on the precious metal's continued rise. His chosen route, says a news report: a gold mine in Uganda.

The American cyclist, who set out on Saturday on his bid for a fourth crown, was persuaded to invest in the mine by former professional cyclist Paul Sherwen, a Briton, who is now the managing director of the mine and also a sports pundit on television in Europe.

Mr. Sherwen and three other friends, all of them involved in international sports, had already invested enough to secure a 2 percent holding in the mine. No details were available as to the size of Mr. Armstrong's investment.