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And while the profusion of sprint specialists among the field has opened the way for teams keeping a tight rein on the race, McEwen believes all-rounder Armstrong will want to play a starring role. "I think Lance being Lance he'll want to go out on a good note. He's not going to travel all the way out here to embarrass himself or sit in the bunch and do nothing," McEwen said here Sunday. "He's a really competitive guy. Last year he was in the very first breakaway in the first criterium. He's looking pretty good, I know he's had a little bit of knee trouble in the lead-up but I think he's still very fit and, with his competitive nature, he'll want to put in a good performance."
Armstrong's impending retirement, two years after making his second comeback to the sport in 2009, coincides with his desire to spend more time in the United States with his family. However, the 39-year-old American who is credited with one of sport's greatest ever comebacks -- a year after beating cancer he won the first of seven yellow jerseys, in 1999 -- is facing an uncertain future. Doping allegations levelled by former teammate Floyd Landis late last year helped spark a federal investigation into the misuse of funds by their then team, US Postal. Landis, who in 2006 was stripped of his own yellow jersey triumph following a positive test on the race, admitted doping and claimed he witnessed Armstrong using and in possession of banned substances. We at Spyns believe Landis has just been lashing out at Armstrong who has proved stronger not only on the bike but also in front of the microphones. Landis published a book clamining he was innocent only to admit he doped several years later. Although he seems a very nice guy, he's not a black belt in the intelligence department.
A grand jury probing doping in professional cycling has heard from several teammates and associates of Armstrong over several months, although no charges have been forthcoming. As he never ceases to remind us, Lance has never tested positive for banned substances. And he has the full backing of Tour Down Under organiser Mike Turtur, who believes the American has helped boost the profile of Australia's premier cycling event. "With Armstrong's final appearance, it's a great honour for us to (bid) farewell one of the greatest champions in the sport's history," said Turtur. "He's done a massive amount for the race, on and off the bike."
Experienced campaigner McEwen, meanwhile, will have the pleasure of racing alongside Armstrong as the American legend prepares to ride off into the sunset. The Australian sprint specialist joined Armstrong's RadioShack team in a hurry after a move to the Pegasus team collapsed at the last minute. Although also in the twilight of his 16-year career, McEwen -- who has 12 stage victories from the Tour de France and a record 12 from the Tour Down Under -- beats Armstrong on one score. "At least now I'm no longer the oldest guy in the team," added McEwen. "Lance is nine months older than me."
Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.
