http://www.tdf-tours.com/Lance Armstrong has of late talked about winning the 2010 Tour de France but many are saying he's just too old (Armstrong is 38). Team Saxo Bank owner Bjarne Riis doesn’t believe that Lance Armstrong can win Tour de France 2010. Armstrong made an exceptional comback last year. He was much faster than anyone expected, and he was in the center of the media attention, finishing third in the world’s hardest cycling race, Tour de France, after a three year absence.
Armstrong aims at an 8th Tour de France winner title with his new Team Radioshack, boasting a very strong team of support riders. A few days ago Lance mentioned that he is in much better shape this year and won't be battling injury and a doping scandal.
But according to Bjarne Riis, Armstrong can not win Tour de France 2010. “I don’t think Lance can win the Tour, but I am very impressed by his achievements last year. That was something special and he deserves all the respect he has earned. But in 2009 Lance was allowed to ride the Tour the way he wanted, because he had Alberto Contador on the team. Apart from that, the stages fit him perfectly, but that will not be the case this year”, Riis says and predicts that Armstrong will not make it to the Tour de France podium in 2010.
“There are more mountains this year, the stages will be more difficult and that will be a problem for Lance Armstrong. He really has to fight to get into top 5. I do think that he can do that, but it will be hard for him to fight his way up to the podium. He will have to get in better shape to achieve that, and I do not see that happening. He is getting older and he will have difficulties on the mountain stages”, Bjarne Riis predicts.
Spyns clients will see the final five (of six) 2010 Tour de France stages including 3 stages in the Pyrenees, the all-important Bordeaux time trial, and Paris finish. Will Lance take the podium in 2010?
However it is no surprise that Bjarne Riis believes that his own two captains Andy and Fränk Schleck, together with Contador are the biggest favorites to the 2010 title. “When Frank, Andy and Contador hit the really hard mountains, lance will not be able to follow. In 2009 it was evident that Lance suffered in the mountains. On Mont Ventoux Lance did well, but that was just one single mountain. This year the route is perfect for us”, says Bjarne Riis.
It is not just the 2010 route that team owner Riis is satisfied with. He is looking forward to taking advantage of the fact that there is a “war” between Armstrong and Contador, who were both at Team Astana last year. “It’s an advantage to us that the big riders are spread over more teams this year. There will be internal fights between Armstrong and Contador, and maybe even between Bradley Wiggins from Sky and Armstrong from Team Radioshack. We are all fine with this, because that is to our advantage. This year’s Tour de France is going to be very, very interesting”, says Bjarne Riis.
Bjarne Riis is well-known for his pre-tour media tactics, and his views should come as no surprise to anybody who has followed Tour de France the past 15 years. Riis seems to forget that the only thing that counts is results. That is a lesson he might learn this year.
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Spyns is luxury cycling tour company based in Whistler BC. Spyns 2010 Tour de France trips include seeing the final 5 (of 6) stages in the Pyrenees, Bordeaux, and Paris finish. For more information, please visit our website http://www.tdf-tours.com/.
