Some final Lance Armstrong thoughts

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ADELAIDE, Australia -- Lance Armstrong finished his Tour Down Under with a positive burst of speed in the final stage and an upbeat assessment of what’s next.

‘I wouldn’t say this has given me too much confidence,’ Armstrong said. ‘It’s given me a reassurance that I can still race. I’ve done the right work, I can still race at the highest levels.’

Armstrong also suggested that he’d like to be back here next year and not just as a spokesman for cancer fundraising. ‘I’d rather come back and race,’ he said. ‘I think we’ve started something really great here with the cancer initiative ... but I might still be on the bike next year.’

He also reiterated what he has been saying about his next effort, the Amgen Tour of California, which begins Feb. 14 in Sacramento -- that he will be riding in support of his Astana teammate and two-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer.

About going for a stage win in California, Armstrong said, ‘We’ll just have to see. I’ll keep an open mind. But it’s healthier for me mentally to go in as a domestique and not put too much pressure on myself.

‘I think our main goal is to get Levi the victory; he’s gunning for it, training for it. I’ll be content to be the domestique for Levi.’

-- Diane Pucin