Lance Armstrong will begin to find out whether his gamble to return to the Tour de France is a credible one when the seven-times champion tackles a tough opener in front of Monaco’s casino on Saturday.
Organisers broke with the tradition of short prologues by staging a 15.5-km first act which could allow the stage winner to keep the coveted race leader’s yellow jersey for some time.
“In 2005, on such a course, I would have destroyed the race and made huge gaps,†said Armstrong, who returned to racing in January after 3 1/2 years in retirement.
“It’s a good course for me, hard and technical. I’ve lived here. I know the roads like the back of my hand. But it’s no longer 2005,â€Â … Details