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Wednesday's EuroFile: Armstrong to Flanders in support role; Georgia not on Heras's mind

Published: Mar. 23, 2005
Armstrong last appeared at Paris-Nice
Armstrong last appeared at Paris-Nice
Photo: Graham Watson

Lance Armstrong will race the Tour of Flanders on April 3, but he’ll go as a “domestique” to help longtime teammate George Hincapie, said Discovery Channel sport director Johan Bruyneel.

Armstrong hasn’t raced since March 9 when he pulled out of Paris-Nice with a slight fever, but has been building his fitness in training near his European base in Girona, Spain. Armstrong is expected to return to action at Paris-Camembert on March 29, though he still might race at Brabantse Pijl two days earlier.

“He’ll go to Flanders as a ‘domestique,’ but not to win,” Bruyneel was quoted on the Spanish wires. “He feels like he should do something for Hincapie for the work he’s done for him in the Tour and he wants to help him.”

Armstrong’s racing schedule has been undefined since his return to Europe. Earlier plans to race in this week’s Setmana Catalana were scratched after the six-time Tour de France champion caught a slight case of the flu.

Bruyneel confirmed Armstrong’s classics plans haven’t changed, meaning he won’t race in either Amstel Gold Race or Liège-Bastogne-Liège and instead will return to the United States to race in the Tour de Georgia from April 19-24.

Bruyneel also said there’s a slight chance Armstrong could race the world championships in Madrid, but only in the time trial event.

No Heras for Tour de Georgia
Liberty Seguros team officials denied reports in the Spanish media that three-time Vuelta a España champion Roberto Heras will race in the Tour de Georgia next month.

Liberty Seguros, the Spanish arm of insurance giant Liberty Mutual, was considering sending a team to the Georgia tour, but decided the travel demands were too much ahead of the Vuelta a Cataluyna, now set for May 16-22 in the new ProTour calendar.

“No, the entire team has changed its racing program and we’ll do the Vuelta a Aragon instead of the Tour de Georgia,” said team spokesman Jacinto Vidarte.

Simoni looking for win
Two-time Giro d’Italia champion Gilberto Simoni (Lampre-Caffita) says he’ll be looking for overall victory in this week’s Setmana Catalana which hits the difficult climb to the ski station Pal in Wednesday’s mountain stage.

“I’ve come to this race to compete, to try to win, not just to take the start and put in some kilometers. I feel like I’m in good form,” Simoni told the Spanish daily El Mundo. “I was very pleased to win at Mont Faron (in Paris-Nice) and I’ve been training well since then.”

For the moment, the 33-year-old is focusing on the 2005 Giro, where he’ll line-up with teammate and defending champion Damiano Cunego. Simoni said he will not make another run at the Tour de France.

“We still haven’t finalized my calendar, but I will race in the Giro del Trentino and then the Giro. It’s certain I will not race the Tour,” he continued. “I don’t want to program anything. Experience tells you it’s better to go to day to day. When the moment arrives, then we’ll see. I don’t want to look further ahead, not in cycling nor in life. The only thing I know is that in the Giro I will be strong. I should arrive in top form.” Mayo pulling an Ullrich?
Health problems continue to dog Iban Mayo. The Alpe d’Huez stage winner was handicapped with mononucleosis last summer that forced him to stop racing in August and forfeit the Vuelta a España.

The Basque climber has since been zapped with the flu he contracted at his season debut at the Vuelta a Valencia last month and has also been bothered with knee problems that have cut back his training program.

According to a report in the Diario Vasco, Mayo is currently “six to seven kilos” over his ideal weight. Doing the conversion, that’s 13 to 15 pounds.

Hospital ward: more broken bones
Scores of riders are hitting the deck in serious crashes the past few days. The latest included Giuliano Figueras, who cracked his pelvis in a fall in the Coppi e Bartali that will require surgery and stitches. The Lampre-Caffita rider is expected to miss 30 days of racing. Teammate Marius Sabaliauskas also crashed, fracturing a bone in his finger. Barloworld’s Enrico Degano crashed during the team time trial and abandoned with a broken arm.

Yellow card for Marinangeli
Sergio Marinangeli, an Italian on Naturino Sapore di Mare, tested for high hematocrit levels in pre-race blood screening ahead of Settimana Coppi e Bartali and wasn’t allowed to take the start.