Former Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc has questioned Lance Armstrong’s motives for returning to race riding next year.
Leblanc, Tour director for all of Armstrong’s seven titles, says in the editorial in the Velo Star review that the Texan took everyone by surprise by announcing his intention to bid for an eighth Tour de France next year.
“It seems that you want to collect funds for your foundation into cancer research. That’s a laudable intention of course but was it necessary to get out your jersey and racing shorts given the revenue your conferences make in the United States?” he wrote.
“They’re also saying you haven’t been overly impressed with the victories of your former rivals — [Oscar] Pereiro, [Alberto] Contador and [Carlos] Sastre — and that at 37 the challenge doesn’t seem insurmountable; and that is something we can understand?” he asks.
“But Lance, let’s suppose that you’ll still be competitive in 2009 — and that’s a strong possibility — there is all the same a small problem which is bothering us.
“It’s the side effects that your return will inevitably have on cycling’s image.
“Us former riders generally have respect for winners, but that’s not always the case with the public and above all the media who have heavy suspicions about you.
“The hounds will be let loose, column inches will be written, images repeated and debate sparked about the one word which has petrified our passion over the past 10 years: doping,” he wrote.
The United States Anti-doping Agency (USADA) said it was up to the International Cycling Union (UCI) to determine when Armstrong will be eligible to compete.
USADA said on Tuesday that Armstrong’s six-month probation period officially began on Aug. 1 when he registered with their drug-testing program.
Armstrong needs to be included in the USADA’s testing pool for six months before his cycling comeback becomes official.
But Armstrong is hoping for an early return to compete in January’s Tour Down Under in Australia.
“He requested to be reinstated into the out of competition testing pool and submitted his whereabouts to us,” Hannan said. “There is no advance notice. He needs to be available.”
Armstrong has been accused of doping practices on several occasions. He has always denied doping and the UCI cleared him in 2006.
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