Armstrong Heads to Paris to Train for Tour
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Press Writer
Lance Armstrong returns to Paris this weekend to start training for a seventh straight Tour de France victory.
Armstrong will compete in the 63rd edition of the Paris-Nice race beginning Sunday, hoping to use the event to ramp up his preparations for the Tour in July. The gentle 2.5-mile prologue is intended to help riders shake off any rust rather than to prove a point.
"I have very low expectations for me personally," he said on the Web site of his Discovery Channel team. "It will be my first race in Europe since the Tour (de France) of 2004."
"It's a great race that is steeped in history. It's interesting as it used to be a real goal for me to try and win Paris-Nice. However, that has changed and it's now purely a preparation race."
Armstrong has mixed memories of Paris-Nice, nicknamed 'The race to the sun.' A stage winner in 1995, and second in 1996, the Texan came back to the race in 1998 after overcoming testicular cancer, which had spread to his lungs and brain.
He dropped out of the race in stage two, prompting speculation that his cycling career was over. Armstrong admits he had his doubts, too.
"Of course I will never forget quitting there in '98, going home, and basically retiring from cycling, only to come back a few months later," he said.
In 1999, he finished 61st before going on to win the first of his six Tours.
Armstrong's warrior qualities were, in no small part, developed at the Paris-Nice - which this year stretches out for 757 miles over a week.
Following Paris-Nice, Armstrong is expected to race in the Tour of Flanders on April 3 and defend his title at the Tour of Georgia later that month. Prior to the Tour de France, he could also race at the Dauphine Libere, his team director Johan Bruyneel has told Tour race organizers.
Accompanying Armstrong toward Nice will be loyal teammates Jose Azevedo, Manuel Beltran and Viatcheslav Ekimov and new faces Paolo Savoldelli and Yaroslav Popovych.
Discovery, which took over as sponsor of Armstrong's team from the U.S. Postal Service, will face stiff competition from two-time winner Alexander Vinokourov of Kazhakstan of T-Mobile, and last year's winner Jorg Jaksche of Team CSC.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. i wonder why this is?
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Press Writer
Lance Armstrong returns to Paris this weekend to start training for a seventh straight Tour de France victory.
Armstrong will compete in the 63rd edition of the Paris-Nice race beginning Sunday, hoping to use the event to ramp up his preparations for the Tour in July. The gentle 2.5-mile prologue is intended to help riders shake off any rust rather than to prove a point.
"I have very low expectations for me personally," he said on the Web site of his Discovery Channel team. "It will be my first race in Europe since the Tour (de France) of 2004."
"It's a great race that is steeped in history. It's interesting as it used to be a real goal for me to try and win Paris-Nice. However, that has changed and it's now purely a preparation race."
Armstrong has mixed memories of Paris-Nice, nicknamed 'The race to the sun.' A stage winner in 1995, and second in 1996, the Texan came back to the race in 1998 after overcoming testicular cancer, which had spread to his lungs and brain.
He dropped out of the race in stage two, prompting speculation that his cycling career was over. Armstrong admits he had his doubts, too.
"Of course I will never forget quitting there in '98, going home, and basically retiring from cycling, only to come back a few months later," he said.
In 1999, he finished 61st before going on to win the first of his six Tours.
Armstrong's warrior qualities were, in no small part, developed at the Paris-Nice - which this year stretches out for 757 miles over a week.
Following Paris-Nice, Armstrong is expected to race in the Tour of Flanders on April 3 and defend his title at the Tour of Georgia later that month. Prior to the Tour de France, he could also race at the Dauphine Libere, his team director Johan Bruyneel has told Tour race organizers.
Accompanying Armstrong toward Nice will be loyal teammates Jose Azevedo, Manuel Beltran and Viatcheslav Ekimov and new faces Paolo Savoldelli and Yaroslav Popovych.
Discovery, which took over as sponsor of Armstrong's team from the U.S. Postal Service, will face stiff competition from two-time winner Alexander Vinokourov of Kazhakstan of T-Mobile, and last year's winner Jorg Jaksche of Team CSC.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. i wonder why this is?
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