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Lance Armstrong Forms Team RadioShack
Daniël van Hoven | 28th July 2009

This article has been read 15471 times


Role rumoured for Polish champion Marcin Sapa

The Tour de France 2009 is over and Alberto Contador has won with a dominant performance. After two out of three weeks into the Tour, attention therefore was shifted from the results in the race, to the rivalry between the young master Contador and the returning Tour de France legend, Lance Armstrong. Contador called Armstrong "completely incompatible" to work together with, bouncing a Twitter remark by Armstrong in which he called Contador talented, but with "lots to learn".

Armstrong (38) returned after not being present in the peloton for almost three years. But immediately he clashed with the new master of the grand Tours, Contador (26), who happened to be his teammate in the Astana formation. And so, after being defeated, feeling imprisoned within team tactics and being tired of the constant tensions within the team, Armstrong decided to form his own team: Team RadioShack. Alberto Contador is likely to join a Spanish formation, of which Caisse d’Erpagne is the favourite. That team took the Tour de France in 2006, with Oscar Perreiro Sio finishing in the yellow jersey in Paris.

It is likely that Armstrong will take along his faithful followers, such as team managers Johan Bruyneel (BEL) and Dirk Demol (BEL) and long time teammates Levi Leipheimer (USA), Yaroslav Popovich (UKR) and Andreas Klöden (GER), who finished sixth in the last Tour. Numbers two and five, the Luxembourg brothers Andy and Frenk Schleck, currently racing for Team Saxobank, have been approached to assist Armstrong’s attempt to win the Tour de France for the eighth time next year, but that would mean that they would have to give up their own chances, which significantly reduces the chances of them joining "The Boss", as Armstrong is sometimes referred to.

Other candidates to join the team, to make the team more compatible for the classic one day races in spring and autumn are Stijn Devolder (BEL), Brice Feillu (FRA), Fabian Cancellara (SUI) and Polish champion Marcin Sapa, currently driving for the Italian Lampre formation. The Pole showed his stuff in this year’s Tour de France by escaping in the fifth stage only to be caught just before the finish. Before that, he claimed the Polish elite championship in Złotoryja (Lower Silesia). He’s known to be a very attacking driver, always taking part in long distance escapes whenever possible, especially when there are hills along the way.

Photo: Pole Marcin Sapa prepares to race (Pro-cycling.org) / photo Damian Bujło

Jabber 4th August 2009

'Over the hill' does not mean he is bad - it simply means he is not getting better. Surely no one can dispute this?

oldbiker1 28th July 2009

Armstrong is over the hill? I don't think 3rd place in the Tour after four years away is "over the hill" -- he's still strong and now has a reason to become stronger over the next year. He's determined to put Contador below first place and he'll probably do it, based on his history. Between his skill and experience and Bruyneel's coaching -- he'll probably get #8.

chaddy1228 28th July 2009

Teams need a leader. They also need a leader that can take control and also make choices that will be psoitive for the team in whole. What I mean is if I am the leader and I know I can't win, what cab I do as a leader to make our team succeed. It was apparent that he was not going to beat Contador. He new that after the first attack. His next choice was to proctect the lead only after Contador took it. The Radio Shack deal I think will Yes make him alot on money, but will really show if he has what it takes to do the impossible.

Jabber 28th July 2009

chaddy - so what do you think about the Radio Shack team as it is shaping up? Will it give Armstrong a chance to do better overall than this year? Personally I doubt it.... but I'm not a pro rider, so I value your opinion here.

chaddy1228 28th July 2009

Do you really think he is upset about not being top dog. He is more upset that Albo needs to be top dog with no diregard to anyone else. Stage 15 was a perfect example of that. Attacking at the end costing Lance 1:37 minutes and Kloeden his third place. Albo is the best but it does take a team. Do you really think Mark Cav. could win six stages without team support. I am a Cat 2 Pro racer and it took me along time to learn about riding with a team

Jabber 28th July 2009

Armstrong is over the hill. This stunt with Radio Shack is just that - a stunt. He just wants to be the leader of a pack, and hates it now that Contador is the top dog!

groovesoop 28th July 2009

It's all about the money now.

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