Fitter, stronger Lance Armstrong set to go full tilt Down Under

The guesswork has gone for cycling star Lance Armstrong as he returns to Adelaide for his second Tour Down Under.

The seven-time Tour de France champion will again be a focus of attention this week ahead of the January 17-24 race. Speaking from his training camp in Hawaii, Armstrong said he was much better prepared and fitter than he was 12 months ago when he entered the Tour for the first time.

Lance Armstrong used the Adelaide race to make his cycling comeback after three years of retirement. Asked about his mindset for the Tour this time, the Team RadioShack rider said: ”Totally different, because last year it had been 3½ years since I had raced.

”I don’t even know what my mindset was – my mindset was ‘I’m just going to get back into the thing, I don’t know what the sport is like these days, I don’t know what the tempo is like these days’.

”I know all of those things now – as I sit here and train in Hawaii, there’s no guesswork for me.

”I’m not curious at all and that helps, a lot. Then, the fact that I’ve done a full racing season … that just helps build the base I didn’t have last year.”

But Armstrong also is trying to carefully manage expectations, saying he does not expect to contend for the Tour win. He finished a credible 29th overall last year.

The initial goal for his new Team RadioShack will be stage wins, and their principal rider will be Belgian sprinter Gert Steegmans, not Armstrong. The Texan will also share the limelight more after last year’s incredible success, when Armstrong’s presence dramatically boosted the event’s popularity and international profile.

Armstrong was paid an appearance fee and the investment had a massive pay-off. This time, Armstrong will share the main billing with Australia’s newly crowned world road race champion, Cadel Evans.

Asked if he was fitter than 12 months ago, Armstrong replied: ”Probably, yeah – but whenever I say that, expectations go up.

”It’s human nature for people to have those expectations and the one you can’t do – you don’t want to say ‘I have to win’, but you can’t completely let them down. I certainly don’t expect to win, but I expect to be stronger than last year.”

Armstrong said his focus this year would be on winning his eighth Tour de France title. ”There will be definitely more emphasis on the race from me, but that will probably be consistent throughout the year,” he said.

”My … focus and emphasis on racing will be a little more than it was last year. I’m really doubling down on the racing side of things to see if we can get an eighth Tour.”

Source: smh.com.au