Lance Armstrong coming back to later, higher Tour of California

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California host cities were announced Thursday as well as the fact that Lance Armstrong and three-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer will be in the field again.

Read here and here and here about the race that has been moved from February to May 16-23 for its fifth year.

The later date allows the Tour of California to offer routes through the mountains and include a mountaintop finish in Big Bear. This year's time trial will be in Los Angeles and finish at the LA Live complex instead of Solvang where it had been successfully held. But LA Live is a product of AEG and so is the Tour of California. So forget about those lovely Solvang pastries and little fruit-filled pancakes. The finish in Big Bear will be on a stage that will start in Pasadena.

The TofC will also go against cycling's traditional May race, the Giro d'Italia. Armstrong rode the Giro last year for the first time. But next year with his new American-based RadioShack team in its premiere season, it was expected that Armstrong and RadioShack teammate Leipheimer would support the biggest U.S. race. 

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Lance Armstrong. Credit: Peter Morrison / Associated Press

Kristin Armstrong -- no relation, but cycling world champion herself

Kristin Armstrong will never have the same fame, or income, or impact on the sports world as has had another Armstrong cyclist -- Lance.

But Kristin has finished off her career in style. She won a gold medal at the world championships in the time trial Wednesday. She had won an Olympic gold medal last summer in Beijing.

Kristin has spent most of her cycling career being mixed up with Lance's former

wife, another Kristin Armstrong. The cycling Kristin has always handled the confusion with grace. She met Lance once, and that was fine, but Kristin said her riding has never been about gaining fame or fortune. (Well, a little fortune would have been nice, she said last summer). "I just love riding the bike," she had said before the Olympics.

On the men's side, Fabian Cancellara won the men's time trial for the third year in a row at the world championships in his home country of Switzerland. He was the winner of the opening prologue at the 2009 Amgen Tour of California.

The surprise fourth-place finisher was little-known American Tom Zirbel, who, at 6-feet-5, is an extremely tall cyclist. 

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Kristin Armstrong. Credit: Jean-Christophe Bott.

Lance Armstrong returning to Tour Down Under

Not that Lance Armstrong hasn't been talking about having a Year 2 of his cycling comeback, but it became official Wednesday when the Tour Down Under announced that Armstrong, and his new Radio Shack team, will be in the 2010 race that begins Jan. 17 in South Australia.

Armstrong chose the 2009 Tour Down Under to return to cycling road racing after his 3 1/2-year retirement from the sport. South Australia Premier Michael Rann has been a vocal supporter of Armstrong's global cancer research fundraising efforts.

The Tour Down Under is centered around the South Australia capital city of Adelaide and last year Armstrong's appearance drew record crowds. The headline of Wednesday's press release announcing Armstrong's return said: "We got Lance."

Why are races so happy to have Armstrong? He rode in the Tour of Ireland this week. On Tuesday Armstrong sent out a Twitter message telling anyone who might be interested could join him for a ride in Dublin. According to a VeloNews story, more than 1,000 riders showed up.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France winner, meets the general public before a ride in Dublin, Ireland on August 25.. Photo credit: Peter Muhly / Getty Images.

Astana playing hardball with Contador?

Interesting e-mail just arrived. It says that the cycling team Astana, the one where 2009 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador and recently unretired and seven-time former Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong were very uneasy teammates during last month's Tour, is expecting Contador to fulfill the third year on his three-year contract next season.

Here's the statement:

In order to clarify some misunderstandings reported in the media, the Astana Cycling Team Management reconfirms that 2009 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador is expected to ride for Team Astana in 2010. Prior to the 2008 season, Contador signed a three-year contract with Team Astana, ensuring that the rider will represent the Kazakh-sponsored team for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010. "Rinus Wagtmans, official spokesperson for the Kazakh authorities, emphasizes that the Kazakh sponsor are excited about the future of Team Astana. Our sponsors are keen to continue with the team at least until the end of 2013. It is clear that Alberto Contador will be our absolute leader of the team for next season. We are surprised to read that many other teams have reportedly shown their intention to engage our Tour winner when he remains under contract. A transfer is not negotiable and we will honor the signed contract. We look forward to more victories from Alberto in 2010."

Armstrong has already announced his plans to ride for newly formed, American-based Team RadioShack and Astana team director Johan Bruyneel, who helped Armstrong win his seven Tours and Contador win two French Tours plus a Giro d'Italia and Spanish Vuelta, will likely join Armstrong at Radio Shack.

It has been rumored that Contador might sign with another U.S. team, Garmin-Slipstream or with the Spanish team Caisse d'Epargne.

Astana was formed in 2007 by Tour de France podium finisher Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan and funded by the country. Vinokourov was shortly afterward suspended for two years for doping violations. The team was banned from the 2008 Tour de France even though Vinokourov was gone and Bruyneel had taken over. Vinokourov made his competitive return last week and even won a stage at the Tour de l'Ain

When Armstrong came out of retirement in September, he rejoined Bruyneel, his longtime mentor, on Astana and it was never smooth going between Contador and Armstrong.

With Vinokourov determined to return to the top levels of cycling now that his suspension is over and he has rejoined the team, it seemed unlikely that Contador would want to be part of more drama, and there certainly will be some.

Vinokourov started Astana, was responsible for its initial funding and certainly, if Vinokourov -- once considered an overall contender for the Tour de France after Armstrong's retirement -- wants to lead the team, then Contador might be in another situation where he will have to fight for his place as team leader.

Also, Contador lost the chance to defend his 2007 Tour de France victory when Astana was banned from the 2008 race as punishment for Vinokourov's doping problems. Contador certainly doesn't want to share in more punishment if the 2010 Tour banned Astana again because Vinokourov is back.

Last month Contador lost Portuguese rider Sergio Paulhino, who had been considered the one Astana rider loyal to him and not Armstrong. Paulhino has signed with, yes, Radio Shack.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Alberto Contador attends an interview with EFE News Agency in Madrid last Thursday. Photo credit: Mondelo / European Press Association.

Mark Cavendish, Team Columbia-HTC coming to Missouri

It's nice to see that the cycling team run by Riverside native Bob Stapleton is strongly supporting American-based races. The 2009 Tour of Missouri announced that Columbia-HTC will bring international sprint star Mark Cavendish as well as three-time world champion time trial winner Michael Rogers and top American veteran George Hincapie (if his broken collarbone has healed) to the
beleaguered race that begins Sept. 7.

U.S. fans don't often get to see the best foreign racers -- who don't often need to race in the U.S. since the majority of big races are in Europe. Stapleton is a passionate supporter of growing cycling in this country and by bringing his top racers to events like the Tour of Missouri and the Amgen Tour of California, he guarantees more media and sponsorship attention.

Cavendish won six sprint stages at the Tour de France.  Hincapie rode most of the final week of the Tour de France with the broken collarbone and despite competing in extreme pain, helped lead Cavendish to his final stage win in Paris on the final day of the Tour.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: British cyclist Mark Cavendish waves to the crowd after winning the final stage of the Tour de France in Paris on July 26. Credit: Guillaume Horcajuelo / EPA

Alberto Contador on Lance Armstrong and Tour de France in El Pais

From the moment Lance Armstrong announced he was returning to cycling and rejoining forces with Johan Bruyneel and thus riding for Astana this year, Alberto Contador was in an uncomfortable position. The Spaniard had to compete on his own team for the No. 1 spot a year after winning two of the three grand tours and missing out on defending his 2007 Tour de France win only because Astana was banned from the race in 2008.

So the very public uncomfortableness between the pair for three weeks was undeniable though Armstrong did not shirk his cycling duties and when it was clear Contador would win the race, Armstrong rode hard and well enough to finish third.

There weren't warm handshakes or hugs between the teammates on the podium last Sunday and Contador surely was dealt a tough team hand to play -- how do you interpose yourself between a legend and the man who helped make him one? -- but the public Armstrong bashing Contador has engaged in since leaving France seems pointless and is likely focusing Armstrong very clearly for another run at Contador next year when Armstrong leads the new Team Radio Shack and Contador rides for whoever wins his services.

On several cycling sites you can find this translation of an article in the Spanish daily El Pais and Contador complains that Armstrong dominated meals, stole the use of team cars and even intercepted a water bottle meant for Contador once. Honestly, it makes Contador seem like a sore winner and something of a whiner. After all, Contador has forever the yellow jersey from 2009. Armstrong and Astana couldn't have treated him that badly then. You don't win the Tour without assistance from a team.

Meanwhile Armstrong has been updating his Twitter from a beach in Abacos. He seems to be having more fun this week after the three-week race than the winner.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Alberto Contador rides on the Champs-Elysees with the Spanish flag draped around his shoulders following his overall victory in the Tour de France on July 26. Credit: Christophe Ena / Associated Press

Cycling's best, George Hincapie version

Since I started writing about cycling about six years ago, George Hincapie has always been one of the classiest, most thoughtful, generally all-around good guys among athletes I  have ever met. He returns phone calls, did interviews during  those seven years when he was riding in support of Lance Armstrong where all anyone wanted was to ask about Armstrong, and even this year willingly called me once from France at nearly midnight to help me with a story about Armstrong.

So I'll admit to rooting big time for George on the day he almost but not quite won a stage at the recently concluded Tour, and I am not at all surprised that Hincapie waited until the Tour was finished to check out a collarbone injury he suffered in the 17th stage.

Guess what? He rode most of the final five stages with a broken collarbone. The work he did on Sunday to get his Columbia-HTC teammate Mark Cavendish a sixth stage victory? Every turn Hincapie took over those cobblestones in Paris must have been agony. And yet, not a peep of complaint.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: American George Hincapie, left, reacts as he hugs his teammate Mark Cavendish of Britain, right, who won the 19th stage of the Tour de France on July 24th. Photo credit: Bas Czerwinski / Associated Press.

Back in Spain, Contador knocks Lance Armstrong

Interesting to read now that he's back in Spain, Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has gone public with what he thinks of former seven-time winner and ostensible Astana teammate Lance Armstrong, who finished third in this year's race.

Meanwhile, while Tour de France officials are cautiously optimistic that this Tour ended with no doping scandals and none on the horizon, French anti-doping president Pierre Bordry isn't as certain. He thinks there are new ways to beat the tests, some 14 of which Armstrong alone was subjected to during the three-week Tour.

And Armstrong said on Twitter this morning that he was leaving France and headed for a beach. Probably not for long though. Watching Armstrong chat up practically every cyclist in the peloton on Sunday's final ride into Paris (well, every one but Contador), it seemed as if Armstrong was taking names, numbers and e-mail addresses to use in recruiting riders for the new Radio Shack team. Also Armstrong's competitive season isn't over yet. He plans to race Aug. 21-23 in the Tour of Ireland.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Alberto Contador greets a group of fans as he arrives in Spain on July 27, 2009. Photo credit: Juanjo Martin / European Press Agency.

On a Tour de France rest day, Lance Armstrong is silent but his rivals aren't

No cycling today in France -- it's the 21-stage tour's first of two rest days. But that doesn't mean all the cyclists lay in their Limoges hotel rooms and vegged out. Besides taking leisurely rides to keep their legs in peak form, many riders held news conferences.

For example, young Astana star Alberto Contador held one at a Novotel hotel outside of Limoges where more than 200 journalists showed up and the meeting was convened under a tree next to a swimming pool. Contador said he would not follow Lance Armstrong should the 37-year-old, seven-time Tour winner make an attack in the Alps next week. We think that was Contador's own voice and not team director Johan Bruyneel playing the ventriloquist.

At another news conference, defending champion Carlos Sastre said he was hardly conceding his title to Contador or Armstrong.

And Andy Schleck, another yellow jersey favorite, was optimistic about his own chances but also suggested he would not be surprised if Armstrong won.

Even Garmin rider Bradley Wiggins couldn't help talking about Armstrong.

Armstrong himself, however, stayed silent Monday. He must have actually been resting.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Lance Armstrong takes part in a training session on Monday. Credit: Jasper Juinen / Getty Images

Some words from Lance Armstrong's coach

Lance Armstrong's longtime coach and team director, Johan Bruyneel, has some interesting assessments about the future of his financially plagued Astana team as well as Armstrong's form after the Giro d'Italia and heading into the Tour de France. Bruyneel is usually pretty honest. He's also pretty happy with how Armstrong's comeback is progressing.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Lance Armstrong toasts with Johan Bruyneel in 2004. Credit: Peter Dejong/Associated Press.