http://www.tdf-tours.com/Spyns Tour de France clients will see a combative Armstrong contest the 2010 Tour de France. Following a broken collarbone and tussle with French anti-doping authorities in 2009, Armstrong seemed resigned to lose last year's Tour de France. This year is another story.
In fact, this may not be cycling legend Lance Armstrong's final Tour Down Under after all. At a press conference January 13, Armstrong said he hoped to return for the 2011 event if he was still riding then and if his schedule permitted a visit.
But the focus for Armstrong and Team RadioShack is clear this year. "Our No.1 goal is to win the Tour de France, it's one that for us as athletes (the team) is the most important race of the year, and for me as an individual athlete , it's the one I know and I love the most," Armstrong said. "I know what it's like to win the tour, I know what it takes to win the tour, I've got seven of them…but I'd like to have an eighth." “it won't be easy. As much as I can sit here and tell you how bad I want to win or that's our main objective, it won't be easy to do that at 39 years old up against young guys that are quick, and recover well, and can both time trial and climb. It's a tall order, but my motivation is intact and is completely pure and I wouldn’t be sitting here today if it wasn’t and also I wouldn't be sitting here if I didn’t' think I could do it – we'll put those two together and give it our best shot. "
Armstrong said he was happy to be back in Adelaide (Australia) to compete in the Tour Down Under. "Its certainly great to be back - we have come back with a different atmosphere different team, different sponsor, obviously, and someone asked me yesterday if when Ileft here last year , i thought I would be back," he said.
"The answer was probably not ... because I didn’t know that the comeback would unfold the way it has and I didn’t know that RadioShack would come in and support he team the way it has.
"We were so excited just to come to Adelaide ... really chomping at the bit to come back. The race just continues to elevate year after year, and with that comes better racing, and better interest around the world, it's going to be a hot one – actually it's going to be cooler than last year, but I think the action will be hot." Not that the champ is backing himself for favouritism, refusing to make bold predictions when asked whether he could win.
"Probably not, would be the honest answer, for a couple of reasons - you win races if you have exceptional condition or the course really suits you, I think my condition, while it's better than 12 months ago, it's not good enough to win," he said. "I'm excited to test my form."Armstrong pinpointed 2008 champ Andre Greipel as the man to beat but believes it is too early so say.
"Without knowing too much, we're picking favourites based on who was the strongest in a training ride two weeks ago," he said.
Armstrong said his team had clear goals for the Tour Down Under. "It'd be great to win a stage with one of our riders," he said "I think if we leave without winning a stage, we'd have to say we're a little disappointed with the new team, a new sponsor, an entire executive and management team of RadioShack coming over for the race, we need to perform." "I think the overall ambition is that we have some success as a team. We still have work to do and some might argue that the team is a little old, in terms of average age, but I feel good about the structure we have and certainly feel good about Johan's (Sports Manager Johan Bruyneel)direction."
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