Armstrong hopes for comeback in Australia
AUSTIN, Texas: Lance Armstrong is hoping his comeback will indeed start in Australia.
The seven-time Tour de France winner wants to return to elite racing in January on the Tour Down Under even though he's not eligible to return until Feb 1, 2009. The race in Australia runs from Jan 20-25.
Armstrong said Monday he's hoping authorities will grant him an exemption and allow him to ride.
"It's my hope that I get down there," Armstrong said by phone from Marfa, Texas. "We'll respect whatever decision they come down with."
The International Cycling Union requires riders coming out of retirement to be in the sport's anti-doping program for six months before racing.
Armstrong filed paperwork on Aug 1 with the US Anti-Doping Agency and said he's already been drug-tested - in late August.
The UCI has said it will make a decision this week.
Armstrong drew comparisons between his case and that of Italian cyclist Mario Cipollini, who came out of retirement in this year's Tour of California despite not meeting the six-month doping timeframe.
"I'm certainly not asking for any exception. However, they don't always apply this rule," Armstrong said on the AdelaideNow website yesterday.
"When Mario Cipollini came back to race, they did not apply to him.
"So somebody needs to answer why it applies for certain people and why it doesn't apply for certain people.
"We'll respect whatever decision they come down with. However in the future we have to be consistent with this stuff.
"It's a tricky situation and of course you are talking about a small amount of time, six or eight or 10 days."
Armstrong has said he plans to race in the Tour of California in February and the Tour de France in July. On Monday, Armstrong also mentioned the Paris-Nice race, a race in South Africa, and the Giro d'Italia as other possible 2009 events. He said he regrets not racing the Giro in previous years.
"It would be nice to do a race before the Tour of California," Armstrong said. "I'm working off the assumption I'm going (to Australia)."
Agencies
(China Daily 10/01/2008 page11)
