The seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has warned not to expect too much from him in his return to competitive cycling after three years in retirement. The testicular cancer survivor will make his professional comeback with the Astana team in the Tour Down Under Classic criterium on Sunday, then compete in the six-stage Tour Down Under from Jan 20-25. "I think it would be unrealistic to expect a victory," Armstrong, 37, said yesterday.
"The race has gotten harder and harder over the years. I hope to be in the mix, I could be completely wrong." Despite plenty of preparation, the American is guarded on his competitive level. "I've prepared much harder this series of months than I ever would have in the past," he added. "The tests that we do on the bike, or on the road, or in the lab indicate that my January fitness is much better than it ever was the years when I was winning the Tour."
Armstrong is scheduled to compete in the Tour de France in July. * AP
