Lance Armstrong likes Tour de France route; wants to meet organizers

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Reading through Lance Armstrong's quotes from a press release regarding the upcoming Tour de France route, I'd have to say he's looking forward to the upcoming bike race.

Armstrong was busy preparing for the Lance Armstrong Foundation's Ride for the Roses bicycling event in Austin this weekend, so he couldn't appear at the route unveiling in Paris. Who knows. He might not have shown up anyway.

The 7-time Tour winner has had a turbulent relationship with organizers in France and might have cold feet about racing the Tour again if he doesn't feel welcome.

He's already committed to the Tour Down Under, Tour of California, and the Giro d'Italia, none of which he's ever raced.

Here are some excerpts from his comments:

“The route of the 2009 Tour de France strikes me as innovative and very interesting.

“… From its start in Monte Carlo with a 15k time trial, to the reinstatement of the team time trial, to stages in my old hometown of Girona all the way to another visit to my old friend the Ventoux, I could not have hoped for a different Tour.

“While there has been a fair bit of tension and numerous disagreements with the Tour and its organizers, I am well aware that there is new leadership at ASO and I look forward to upcoming conversations and to a mutually beneficial future together.

“Whether it's promoting the Livestrong global cancer campaign or making the biggest bike race in the world the gem that it deserves to be, I look forward to next year.”

There's more at Reuters and AFP.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/10/23/lance-armstrong-likes-tour-de-france-route-wants-to-meet-organizers/

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