Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong said yesterday not to expect too much from him in his return to competitive cycling after three years in retirement.
The testicular cancer survivor will make his professional comeback with the Astana team in the Tour Down Under Classic criterium next Sunday, then compete in the six-stage Tour Down Under from Jan. 20 to Jan. 25.
“I think it would be unrealistic to expect a victory,” Armstrong said yesterday. “The race has gotten harder and harder over the years. I hope to be in the mix, I could be completely wrong.”
The 37-year-old American arrived in Australia on Sunday and took a four-hour training ride yesterday before appearing at a media conference. He spent several weeks in Hawaii training for the Australian race.
“I’ve prepared much harder this series of months than I ever would have in the past,” Armstrong said.
“The tests that we do on the bike, or on the road, or in the lab indicate that my January fitness is much better than it ever was the years when I was winning the Tour. But that doesn’t mean anything until you get into the race,” he said.
He quipped that he might be the first rider dropped from the peloton — an unthinkable scenario for the Tour Down Under organizers.
“I know I have questions about my personal condition, but I’ve worked hard to get in shape, I’ve worked hard to show up here and try to ride at the front,” he said. “But when you’re one man out of 200 it’s strange how 199 other guys dictate how your day goes. I think it would be unrealistic to expect a victory.”
While Armstrong said most of the other riders in the field were also starting their seasons in Australia, he must reacquaint himself with riding in the peloton.
“I have a little bit of insecurity and a little bit of nervousness there and so that’s the reason I’ve tried to train hard and prepare hard — I’m fairly fit,” he said.
“You have to consider cycling: it’s not just about your physical condition, it’s about 200 guys going down the road and going around dangerous corners at 40mph [64kmh], 50mph — and how does that feel?” Armstrong asked.
“That’s a dynamic that you can’t simulate in training, so I’ve got to get in the group. And those are the things that most people look at and think we’re nuts to do this,” he said.
Armstrong said his decision to return to competitive cycling was influenced by his efforts in campaigning for cancer awareness.
“There have been times where I’ve thought ‘What the hell have I done?’ but they’re brief,” he said.
“For me it’s not so much a sporting challenge, and it’s not a financial challenge, it’s not any of those things. I came back as a volunteer and so I’m here for the love of the bike and the passion of the cause,” he said.
DOUBLE: Harry Kane has now netted 12 goals in six games, scoring his second hat-trick this season after Bayern’s opening Bundesliga match against Leipzig last month That man again. Harry Kane scored his second hat-trick of the season on Saturday to steer Bayern Munich to a 4-1 win at Hoffenheim for the best Bundesliga start any team has made after four rounds. The England captain scored before the break and converted two penalties after it to take his club tally to 12 goals in six games across all competitions — 13 goals in seven games including the German Supercup. Kane’s other hat-trick was in the Bundesliga-opening 6-0 rout of Leipzig. Bayern’s record of 12 points with a goal difference of 15-plus is the best after four rounds of the Bundesliga
San Francisco Giants pitcher Teng Kai-wei impressed against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday despite an 8-1 loss in the opener of the team’s nine-game road trip. Teng, the only Taiwanese pitcher active in MLB, struck out five while allowing two hits and one walk over four innings at Chase Field to finish with a no decision, as the teams were tied 1-1 when he finished his outing. He surrendered the lone run of his outing in the bottom of the first, which began with a walk, a hit-by-pitch and two strikeouts. Diamondbacks leadoff hitter Geraldo Perdomo advanced to third on
Rwanda is to take center stage from today as the first African country to host the cycling world championships, in its latest use of sports to improve the country’s reputation. As it prepares for 5,000 cyclists and 20,000 spectators, Rwanda has spruced up its roads, created a network of cycle lanes and run multiple police drills. A poor, landlocked country in east Africa still widely associated with a horrific genocide in 1994, Rwanda has used various sports to revamp its image, attract tourists and impress investors with its organizational efficiency. It has spent lavishly on soccer sponsorship deals with clubs
New Zealand yesterday basked in “amazing” athletics glory after winning two gold medals in as many days at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Geordie Beamish on Monday claimed New Zealand’s first track gold in history with a shock victory in the 3,000m steeplechase, while high jumper Hamish Kerr followed with gold on Tuesday to make it an unprecedented double success for a country much better known for rugby than its prowess in track and field. Before this week, the country had won only six golds in total at the championships. Yesterday morning New Zealand were in the giddy position of fourth on
RSS