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.
‘COMPLETE GAME’: ‘To be honest, I’m not sure about the history, but I’m very happy about what I did today,’ Yamamoto said through a translator after the game Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a World Series game from another era. Sandy Koufax had October outings like this, and so did Orel Hershiser, but those types of performances have vanished in modern baseball. Until this 178cm starter from Japan delivered like the aces of old. Yamamoto threw a four-hitter for his second consecutive complete game, the first in the World Series since 2015, and the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Saturday night to tie their best-of-seven matchup at one game apiece. “It’s kind of the throwback,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “When he starts a game, he
US President Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, is poised to make her LPGA Tour debut after receiving a sponsor invitation on Tuesday to the Nov. 13 to 16 tournament at Pelican Golf Club in Florida. “My dream has been to compete with the best in the world on the LPGA Tour,” Kai Trump said in a statement posted on the LPGA’s Web site. “This event will be an incredible experience,” she said. “I look forward [to] meeting and competing against so many of my heroes and mentors in golf as I make my LPGA Tour debut.” The 18-year-old high-school senior,
REACTION: Less than 24 hours after a 18-inning Game 3 loss, the Blue Jays’ win ensured that the best-of-seven series is to head back to Toronto for Game 6 tomorrow Vladimir Guerrero Jr on Tuesday blasted a two-run home run as the Toronto Blue Jays bounced back to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 and tie the MLB World Series at two games apiece. Less than 24 hours after a shattering 18-inning Game 3 loss, the Blue Jays climbed off the canvas to breathe new life into their hopes of a first MLB title in 32 years. Guerrero’s two-run blast off Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani and a superb pitching performance from ace Shane Bieber laid the foundations for a gutsy victory that silenced Dodger Stadium. “I’m always trying to compete
Retired defender Jerome Boateng on Saturday pulled out of a planned coaching internship at Bayern Munich after fans voiced their objection due to the FIFA 2014 World Cup winner being found guilty of assaulting a former girlfriend last year. The former Bayern and Germany defender, who played for the club between 2011 and 2021, had discussed a short internship with coach Vincent Kompany. “Following the recent discussion regarding myself, I have decided to focus on my issues such as the A training license.... That is where my focus is,” he said in a social media post addressed to Bayern and
RSS