Lance Armstrong comes for Tour of California

The nine-day cycling race passes through Livermore Tuesday on its way down the state.

From the coastal bluffs to the lower valleys, the Amgen Tour of California will be traversing the state’s scenic landscapes starting in Sacramento on February 14 and ending in Escondido on February 22. For those hoping to catch a glimpse of the peloton of pro cyclists, the tour will be passing through the East Bay in Livermore on Tuesday, February 17, before riders ascend Patterson Pass on their way to Modesto. Diablo intern and biking enthusiast Jason Shueh is following the tour and went to the opening press conference in Sacramento.

 

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In a pre-race press conference Thursday, seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong paid a visit to the Sheraton Grand Hotel to talk about the race and his return to cycling after a three-year retirement.

"There are two parts to my comeback. One is obviously to race - the reason we're here, the reason we’ll be there on the start line on Saturday - but more importantly really is the thought, the idea and the initiative to take Livestrong around the world," Armstrong said, mentioning his cancer foundation.

Optimistic about the nine-day race, Armstrong said that California’s terrain will offer a unique perspective for himself and the many European racers.

"California is prime cycling territory, and back in the '80s and '90s, I raced all over. It’s also is a mythical place for a lot of people; everyone knows about California - people sing about California, there are movies about California, they dream about Highway 1. California holds a lot of mystique, so for AEG to put together an event that starts in Northern California and ends in Southern California is great.”

Since Armstrong announced his comeback at a press conference in Las Vegas last October he has been repeatedly asked how fit he thinks he is and if he’ll be as competitive as he was before retirement. Armstrong told the packed room of reporters that night that mentally and physically he’s right where he needs to be.

“I feel as strong and just as good at 37 as I did at 27,” Armstrong said.

Tour and AEG Sports president Andrew Messick said that he thought the tour would boast some of the best riding talent ever to have competed on U.S. soil. “We’re covering some new terrain and we think the racing is going to be some of the best we’ve ever had. We think this is the best field of professional riders ever to compete in the United States,” Messick said.

Backing Messick on that claim was Carlos Sastre, last year’s Tour de France winner. Sastre said that he was incredibly impressed with the A-list of riders that’d be competing. He was also amazed at the press coverage. “This feels like the Tour de France. I’ve never seen so many journalists at any other race, except the Tour,” Sastre said.

Sacramento Mayor and former NBA Player Kevin Johnson also commented on the large press coverage and credited the media turnout to Armstrong and his foundation.

“I played in an NBA final in 1993 and I’ve never seen so many reporters in a room until today,” Johnson said.

Yet the night wasn’t without a heated discussion on the subject of “doping,” the act of using performance enhancing drugs to gain an athletic advantage. In the past few years cycling has been victim to a series of drug scandals within its pack of elite riders. Armstrong, who has been repeatedly accused of taking banned substances—but has never failed a drug test in his career—was questioned by Irish journalist Paul Kimmage about his feelings about unrepentant riders coming back to the sport. CLICK HERE to see the video.

Kimmage has accused Armstrong of doping in the past and in a recent radio broadcast called him “the cancer of cycling.” Armstrong denounced Kimmage for his previous radio accusation and told him that, considering his proven record of clean riding and the noble cause he was fighting for, he didn’t know if he could forgive him for his comments.

“You are not worth the chair you are sitting on with a statement like that, with a disease that touches everyone around the world," Armstrong said.

The night ended with a standing presentation of some of the elite riders including Armstrong and race coordinators.

The tour will be passing through the East Bay in Livermore on February 17 before riders ascend Patterson Pass on their way to Modesto. Be sure to get there early as there will be rolling road closures throughout the day. More information on television coverage and locations is posted on the tour web site amgentourofcalifornia.com.

 

 

 

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