Tour de France ready to roll with flat stage

Associated Press

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands

The Tour de France gets under way today and Lance Armstrong says he doesn’t expect to win the 5.5-mile prologue of what will be his last ride in cycling’s premier event.

The short and mainly flat stage through the Dutch port of Rotterdam’s city center doesn’t feature major problems, but Armstrong has recently struggled in the discipline. He used to dominate his rivals in time trials during his heyday.

Last year, his failure in the Annecy time trial hampered his chances in his comeback attempt to win the Tour for the eighth time. Armstrong eventually finished third.

“I’m not going to win on Saturday, I know that,” Armstrong said. “These time trials ... I don’t know, it’s just I’ve lost it.”

Armstrong built his seven straight Tour victories with strong displays in the mountains and time trials. But at nearly 39 years old, he lacks explosiveness in the race against the clock.

Armstrong said this Tour is one of the toughest he’ll tackle, with riders going through seven dangerous and treacherous cobblestone sectors in the third stage.

“The first week, we can’t have any mistake,” Armstrong said. “We can’t lose time. I have to get through the first week neutral. There will be people, I think, that will be minutes behind.

“If you consider the first three or four stages in relation to the last four stages, it’s a full race. There is three weeks of real racing. It’s start to finish.”

The Texas has had a complicated season without much time to practice. He was expected to compete in time trials at the Circuit de la Sarthe and at the Tour of California, but had to withdraw because of illness and a crash.

“He did some time trial work, but it has been a catch-up constantly to find a good condition,” said Armstrong’s RadioShack sports director Johan Bruyneel.

Armstrong finished second at the Tour of Switzerland last month following a solid performance in the final stage.

Among the prologue favorites are Olympic time trial champion Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, Bradley Wiggins and David Millar of Britain as well as Tony Martin of Germany.

“For sure, to win this stage is a big goal,” Martin said. “Hopefully, I will be able to achieve this.”

Armstrong’s hopes have been boosted this year because there is only one big time trial scheduled during the three-week race, coming on the eve of the finish on the Champs-Elysees.

The course has 23 mountain passes and favors defending champion Alberto Contador, who is considered the best climber.