Cycling-Tour de France

Sastre aiming to foil Armstrong return

by Mark Rodden

Article published on the 2009-07-03 Latest update 2009-07-04 14:44 TU

After three years in retirement, Lance Armstrong is looking for his 8th Tour de France victory
(Photo: Reuters)

The most famous cycling race in the world, the Tour de France, begins on Saturday with a 15.5-kilometer time trial in Monaco. As usual though, that will only be the beginning of a daunting competition that will test the globe’s top racers to the limit.

In total, the punishing 3,500 kilometre race will feature 21 stages and will take three weeks to complete.

This year it is the turn of Spain’s Carlos Sastre to try to become the first rider to defend his crown since seven-time champion Lance Armstrong, who dominated the Tour in the first half of the decade.

But as if the task wasn’t difficult enough already, Sastre will have to cope with the challenge from Armstrong himself, who is returning this year after over three years out of the sport. Armstrong returned to competition in January and finished 12^th in the Giro d’Italia despite breaking his collarbone only six weeks previously.

Ominously for his competitors, the 37-year-old American sounds quietly confident. After finishing his pre-race training camp, the Texan compared his form to six years ago, when he beat German Jan Ullrich to claim the yellow jersey for a fifth time.

"I'm coming to the Tour with the best form possible but we'll see how it goes after the first few days," he said. "There's no way I can say I have a chance of winning, as I could in previous editions. I feel a little bit like I did in 2003, when I just beat Ullrich."

Armstrong, however, may have to play second fiddle to his 26-year-old Astana teammate, Alberto Contador of Spain. The 2007 winner has been described by Armstrong as the “best stage racer on the planet” and is the favourite to win.

Cadel Evans, runner-up for the past two years, Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck and Russia’s Denis Menchov will also be contenders for Sastre’s crown.

Unfortunately though, stories about drugs continue to dog the Tour. Contador was unable to defend his title last year because Astana were not invited to take part after several racers returned positive drug tests.

Dutch cyclist Thomas Dekker of Evans’s Silence team was ruled out of the tour three days before the start after testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug EPO.

And on Friday, Belgian star Tom Boonen was re-instated after the Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared him to race. He had been barred from entering after a positive test for cocaine in April.

Organisers and fans alike, however, will be hoping that this year’s tour will be remembered for the drama on the route and how riders overcome the immense and varied challenges that await them.

With this in mind, the massive 21.1 kilometre climb to Mont Ventoux on the penultimate stage could make or break many of the favourites’ hopes of holding the yellow jersey on 26 July.

Whichever of the major riders receives the best support from his teammates could also prove a key factor in deciding who reaches the famous finish line at the Champs-Elysées first.