|
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Fitter than ever Armstrong believes best is yet to come
PARIS (Reuters) -- Reigning Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong is in the form of his life just weeks before starting his 2001 season in Spain's Tour of Murcia. "I feel really, really good," the American said on his Web site. "Based on some tests we did while in Valencia, my condition is actually a couple of months ahead of where I was last year. "I think I am still in my years of improvement -- late 20s, early 30s the shorter off-season helped some, I think -- and I've done a fair bit of training as well. "I've never really been off the bike, and I've kept my weight down as well. I'm at 76.5 kilos (168.7 pounds) right now, and that's only 2-3 kilos away from my Tour weight..." Armstrong has changed bases this season, moving with his U.S. Postal teammates to Spain instead of France. As a result, his first race will be the Tour of Murcia on March 7. "I've never done this race before. I know it's got all the ingredients of a good stage race -- plenty of climbs, time trials, etc... "We actually chose this race because of my anticipated fitness levels based on 2000 data. We'll see how things turn out -- it's my first race of the season, after all," he said. The American added that, even though he did not rule out returning to one-day classics in the future, his season was again built around the Tour de France. The U.S. Postal team are being investigated in France on doping allegations. "Let me say this clearly: we have nothing to hide and I am 100 percent confident we will be vindicated," he said.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
