Lance Armstrong Set To Join Team Astana, Say Kazakh Federation
American cyclist Lance Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France winner, was set to join Kazakhstan-based professional team Astana, according to an official from the country’s cycling
federation.
“On Wednesday Armstrong will announce his decision to join our team at a
news conference,” federation deputy president Nikolai Proskurin told Bicycle.net.
“This case is a sealed one.
“I believe Armstrong will become a new sporting brand for Kazakhstan,” he
added. “He’s a great sportsman and courageous man and he will exemplify
Kazakhstan’s rising talents in the best possible way.”
Proskurin also said that Armstrong would share the leadership in the team
with the current leader, Spaniard Alberto Contador, the 2007 Tour de France
winner who has won the Tour of Spain and Giro d’Italia this season.
“Currently there’s certain tension in the team but I hope we are capable of
keeping the situation under control,” Proskurin said. “Armstrong will not be
the only star, he will be one of the team’s leaders.”
Armstrong, who turned 37 last week, is poised to join the Astana team and
compete in five road races, according to a report on VeloNews.com that cited
“sources familiar with the developing situation”.
According to VeloNews, Armstrong will compete in the Amgen Tour of
California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia, the Dauphine-Libere and the Tour
de France, racing for no salary or bonuses.
However, organisers of South Australia’s Tour Down Under announced earlier
Wednesday that Armstrong would launch his comeback at their six-day event in
January that covers more than 800 kilometres (50 miles) across southern
Australia.
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So does Lance ride in support of Contador? does Contador ride in support of Lance? Do they go head to head? Who does the rest of the team support? Its never easy to have two kings.