Lance Armstrong to return for 2009 Tour de France?
source: http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news;_ylt=AhsUsklrqXdHgeROVvFVfhw5nYcB?slug=ap-armstrong-comeback...
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- riffhard98
- added this
Lance Armstrong’s reported comeback won’t take place with the Astana cycling team.
“He is no part of our team,” Astana team press officer Philippe Maertens told The Associated Press in an e-mail. “Team Astana has no plans with him.”
The cycling journal VeloNews, citing anonymous sources, reported on its Web site Monday that the 36-year-old seven-time Tour de France champion would compete in the Tour and four other road races with Astana in 2009.
But Astana team director Johan Bruyneel, who was with Armstrong for all seven Tour wins from 1999-2005, told cyclingnews.com that he was unaware of any Armstrong comeback.
“I don’t know where the rumors come from,” the Web site quoted him as saying.
Maertens said rumors that Armstrong might come out of retirement had been circulating for a few weeks.
“I cannot tell you more,” Maertens said in the e-mail. “You better ask him.”
Armstrong did not immediately respond to a text message or voice mails left by the AP. Armstrong’s manager Mark Higgins and Bruyneel also did not respond to voice mails left by the AP.
George Hincapie, a longtime Armstrong teammate, would not comment Monday afternoon following the first stage of the Tour of Missouri.
VeloNews reported Armstrong will compete in the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia and the Dauphine-Libere, in addition to the Tour.
The Astana team, however, was not allowed to compete in this year’s Tour after Alexandre Vinokourov was kicked out of the 2007 Tour for testing positive and the team quit the race.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency confirmed Armstrong is part of its out-of-competition testing pool and would be eligible for elite competition on Feb. 1, 2009. The Amgen Tour of California begins Feb. 14.
USA Cycling said Armstrong has not applied for an international cycling license, but chief operating officer Sean Petty said Armstrong typically did not request such a license until January or February.
“He is no part of our team,” Astana team press officer Philippe Maertens told The Associated Press in an e-mail. “Team Astana has no plans with him.”
The cycling journal VeloNews, citing anonymous sources, reported on its Web site Monday that the 36-year-old seven-time Tour de France champion would compete in the Tour and four other road races with Astana in 2009.
But Astana team director Johan Bruyneel, who was with Armstrong for all seven Tour wins from 1999-2005, told cyclingnews.com that he was unaware of any Armstrong comeback.
“I don’t know where the rumors come from,” the Web site quoted him as saying.
Maertens said rumors that Armstrong might come out of retirement had been circulating for a few weeks.
“I cannot tell you more,” Maertens said in the e-mail. “You better ask him.”
Armstrong did not immediately respond to a text message or voice mails left by the AP. Armstrong’s manager Mark Higgins and Bruyneel also did not respond to voice mails left by the AP.
George Hincapie, a longtime Armstrong teammate, would not comment Monday afternoon following the first stage of the Tour of Missouri.
VeloNews reported Armstrong will compete in the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia and the Dauphine-Libere, in addition to the Tour.
The Astana team, however, was not allowed to compete in this year’s Tour after Alexandre Vinokourov was kicked out of the 2007 Tour for testing positive and the team quit the race.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency confirmed Armstrong is part of its out-of-competition testing pool and would be eligible for elite competition on Feb. 1, 2009. The Amgen Tour of California begins Feb. 14.
USA Cycling said Armstrong has not applied for an international cycling license, but chief operating officer Sean Petty said Armstrong typically did not request such a license until January or February.
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lukehardiman
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I've posted about Lance's competition schedule in the run-up to the 2009 Tour de France on 4 July. You can check out where Lance will be honing his competitive edge before the tour here: http://newrelease.co.za/lance-armstrong/lance-armstrongs-pre-tour-event-racing-s....
- 4 years ago
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lukehardiman
