On the heels of yesterday's Locklear/Sambora split, musician Sheryl Crow and professional athlete Lance Armstrong have decided to end their relationship.

The two were engaged to be married, but rumors of the split started appearing around Christmas of last year. Both denied the rumors at the time and stated they were still planning a spring wedding.

Today, however, the couple released a statement through Armstrong's publicist that they were not only calling off the wedding, but separating for good.

"After much thought and consideration we have made a very tough decision to split up. We both have a deep love and respect for each other and we ask that everyone respect our privacy during this very difficult time," the statement went on to say

Crow, 43, and Armstrong, 34, first met in October 2003, after his divorce from his first wife, and started dating. Armstrong reportedly proposed while the couple were vacationing in Sun Valley, Idaho, last fall. The two have been living on a ranch in Austin, Texas, where they preferred to keep out of the celebrity limelight.

Ironically, Crow recently did a photo shoot for Allure magazine that involved wedding dresses. She is scheduled to tape an episode of the Ellen DeGeneres show next week to air on February 13, but no word if she'll still do the show for fear that she'll be asked about the split. Crow is also scheduled to resume her tour for the Wildflower album on February 28 in, of all places, Austin.

Having retired from pro-cycling after his seventh Tour de France victory last year, Armstrong has been busy spearheading fundraising efforts for his charity, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which supports people managing and surviving cancer.

For more information on Crow, please visit www.sherylcrow.com.

For more information on Armstrong, please visit www.lancearmstrong.com. His charity can be found at www.livestrong.org.

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