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Lance to battle Alberto, course
AP Sports Writer
Armstrong
The 37-year-old American rider, back in competition this season after more than three years of retirement, said in an interview Tuesday that this year's race, starting Saturday in Monaco, was more likely to favor pure climbers such as Contador.
"There is only (about 34 miles) of time trials, which is much less than normal," Armstrong said in a telephone interview. "And the final week is extremely hard with a lot of climbs. So all the way from Colmar (Stage 14), to Verbier, the Alps, the time trial and then the (Mont) Ventoux ... I've never seen a final week of the Tour like that."
Armstrong has never won at the fabled and dreaded Ventoux - one of the few climbs where's he's come off second-best.
"It owns a special place in my heart," Armstrong said. "Obviously it would be a sweet feeling to win there finally, but if you want to win there, you have to be the best."
Traditionally, the Tour finishes with a time trial on the penultimate day, before a largely ceremonial ride into Paris on the last day.
But this year, Ventoux, a huge moonscape of rock in Provence with no vegetation, will be the 20th of the 21 stages. The punishing climb, on which British rider Tom Simpson died in 1967, could possibly decide the outcome.
In his heyday, Armstrong had two occasions to triumph on the so called "Bald Mountain."
In 2000, when he won the Tour for a second time, he allowed the late Marco Pantani of Italy to pass him at the finish line, later regretting having given away the victory.
Two years later, Armstrong's team reacted too late and failed to catch Frenchman Richard Virenque, settling for third place.
"It reinforces that I made mistakes the previous two times," Armstrong said. "I should have raced differently in 2000, and we should have raced differently in 2002. The Ventoux deserves the strongest riders, the mountain asks for that."
Armstrong recently finished the Giro d'Italia in a creditable 12th place, and his body weight is reassuringly low.
"I'm lighter than I was before," he said. "Before, I was about (163 or 164 pounds). And now it's (159½ or 160½). It's a good thing, and I think it's because I already have one Grand Tour in my legs. I came out of the Giro pretty light, and then the last month I was very careful with diet. I trained very hard in altitude and all those things contributed to the good body weight."
AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire contributed to this report.
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