How Levi Sees It

Levi had just about the same thing to say in this Velo News article:

...“As a team player in a team sport, I will support whoever is the strongest. I’ve done it before, and I don’t have a problem with it. I would love to win the Tour, and if the circumstances are there, I will go for it. But I’m not going to screw anyone. If Lance comes back and he's killing it and he is back on top, I will be there to help him win. Alberto as well."

right on.

Was I harsh?

Ok, I might have been a little harsh on Lance in my first post here. The news that he was coming back was quite a surprise. The last issue of Outside magazine has a good interview with Lance. He was asked about his position on the team and how things will work out with Levi Leipheimer and Alberto Contador. I like what he had to say here:

"There is a good chance that I am the third-stongest guy on the team. And that's fine. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about that. As a professional cyclist you're supposed to support the strongest man, and I will support those rules because that's what I want."

Bravo Lance.

Report: Armstrong will come out of retirement in 2009

Yikes! Fox Sports News has reported:

According to a report in VeloNews, Lance Armstrong will come out of retirement next year and will compete in the Tour de France.

Citing sources close familiar with the situation, the magazine claimed the seven-time yellow jersey winner would join the Astana racing team and compete in five road races, including the Tour de France.

Armstrong, who turns 37 later this month, would also compete in the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia and the Dauphine-Libere.
The sources, who asked to remain anonymous, also said Armstrong would not race for salary or bonuses.

Armstrong's manager, Mark Higgins, did not respond to questions.

If Armstrong does in fact join up with Astana, it would reunite him with former team manager Johan Bruyneel, who helped guide Armstrong's Motorola and U.S. Postal Service teams to seven consecutive Tour de France wins.

According to sources, Armstrong would post results for all of his internally tested blood work online in an attempt to prove that he is competing clean.

I'm all for it if he plans to ride as a domestique for Leipheimer or Contador!

Why place three top TDF contenders (Leipheimer, Contador, and Armstrong) all on one team? Where's the competition in that? Levi missed out on this year's tour. Retirement is staring him in the face, so he may only have a few more chances to win. With Lance (and Contador) on the team guess who's gonna get pushed aside. From a viewer's standpoint I believe it would be much more entertaining if they were on seperate teams. I am assuming that Lance will get top billing on the team, and Contador will be right behind him. I'd rather see Levi lose to those two in a head to head battle than see him with no chance of winning at all because he's had to take on a domestique roll yet again. He's too good for that. I guess you can tell I an a Levi Fan.

On the positive side, I think it will be a tremendous boost to domestic cycling if Lance participates in the top events throughout the US. The competition is getting stronger every year and the fan turn out has been tremendous. Maybe he can ride on the Rock Racing squad!? Michael Ball?