Astana!
Lance is getting the band back together!
Armstrong, who turns 37 this month, will compete in the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia, the Dauphiné Libéré and the Tour de France — and will race for neither salary nor bonuses, the sources, who asked to remain anonymous, told VeloNews.
Armstrong’s manager, Mark Higgins, did not respond to questions. And an Astana spokesman denied the report to The Associated Press.
“He is no part of our team,” Astana team press officer Philippe Maertens told the AP in an e-mail. “Team Astana has no plans with him.”
However, sources close to the story have told VeloNews that an exclusive article on the matter will be published in an upcoming issue of Vanity Fair, expected later this month. Vanity Fair editors did not respond to requests for comment.
Rumors of Armstrong’s return swirled at last week’s Eurobike trade show in Germany and this week’s Tour of Missouri.
The rumor speculates that Armstrong will reunite with former team manager Johan Bruyneel at Team Astana — a viable option given Armstrong’s long-lasting relationships not only with the Belgian director but also Trek, Astana’s bike sponsor.
According to sources, the Texan will post all of his internally tested blood work online, in an attempt to establish complete transparency and prove that he is a clean athlete.
This is a giant screw you to WADA and UCI
With any luck it will be Lance and the royally screwed over Floyd Landis competing for first place.
According to sources, the Texan will post all of his internally tested blood work online, in an attempt to establish complete transparency and prove that he is a clean athlete.
That way when the Chatenay-Malabry lab screws up the samples, there is something to compare it to–in fact every team should do this for exactly that reason.
Dick Pound’s head just exploded. Heh.
I’m not sure what it will mean for the rest of Astana which has both Leipheimer and Contador on the team–two people who on their own are GC threats-Contador winning the 2007 race.