Wednesday's EuroFile: Armstrong's plans? Hincapie heads Discovery roster for Flanders

By Andrew Hood

Armstrong: I have something important to say.

Photo: AFP

Media speculation about Lance Armstrong’s cycling future hit a fever pitch Wednesday following an interview with the French daily Le Figaro when the six-time Tour de France champion advised journalists to turn up at a press conference April 18 ahead of the Tour de Georgia. “If I were you, I’d go there. I have something important to say,” Armstrong said. “I won’t be doing the Tour forever. But it’s still too early to talk about it. I will announce it to you, to the world, only later.” Armstrong, who turns 34 in September, only reluctantly announced he’d be returning to the Tour this year for a run at a seventh crown. According to his two-year contact with Discovery Channel, Armstrong is obliged to race one more Tour. “To win a seventh Tour is now my objective. But seven would be just one more whereas six was magic,” he said. “I’m not interested in leaving a deep imprint. For cycling, I will remain the stranger who came from a faraway land.” Armstrong said long absences from his children required for training and racing in Europe are taking its toll. Armstrong recently completed a training camp on the Spanish Canary Islands ahead of racing this weekend in the Tour of Flanders. “The hardest thing for me when I’m in Europe is to stay away from my kids who are in Texas,” he said. “The long and many absences, the long distances make me want to say stop it, to return home and be near them.” Hincapie leads Discovery in Flanders
Lance Armstrong will headline the Discovery Channel roster for Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, but the six-time Tour de France champion will be riding to help longtime teammate George Hincapie. Hincapie, who was sidelined with fever at Milan-San Remo, is racing this week to defend his title at the Three Days of De Panne ahead of the northern classics. Also making the starting roster include last year’s Flanders runner-up Leif Hoste, who crashed hard at Milan-San Remo on March 19. Also there will be rising talent Stijn Devolder, Russian vet Viatcheslav Ekimov, Paris-Roubaix podium man Roger Hammond, Luxembourg’s Benoit Joachim and Hayden Roulst Disccovery Channel for Tour of Flanders
Lance Armstrong
Stijn Devolder
Viatscheslav Ekimov
George Hincapie
Leif Hoste
Roger Hammond
Benoit Joachim
Hayden Roulston
Hondo doubtful for Flanders
Gerolsteiner’s Danilo Hondo isn’t expected to start Sunday’s Tour of Flanders after coming down with a spat of the flu. According to a report on the German wires, Hondo didn’t start the second stage of the Three Days of De Panne and is “very unlikely” to start Flanders. “We really hope that there will be a clear improvement by Friday. Otherwise he will not be able to start the Tour of Flanders on Sunday,” said team manager Christian Henn. Caucchioli promises return to best
Pietro Caucchioli, third in the 2002 Giro d’Italia, is hoping to turn the page in 2005 and leave behind two frustrating seasons underlined by injury and setback. He underwent surgery for a hernia and came down with pneumonia in 2003 and struggled through the 2004 season to score 11th in the Tour. “I’ve had some misfortune and I hope simply to be able to demonstrate my quality again,” Caucchioli told Tutti Bici. He’s signed on to lead the French team’s Credit Agricole bid in the upcoming Giro and co-captain with Christophe Moreau in the Tour. After completing Tirreno-Adriatico, Caucchioli will race in the Ardennes classics ahead of the Giro. “I don’t put myself among the favorites for the Giro. Simoni has beaten me before and Cunego, if he’s like he was last year, will be hard for anyone to beat,”Caucchioli said. “My program calls for me to come into the Giro a little easy looking to gain peak fitness just in time for the mountains. I will try to stay close to Cunego and see if we can make something happen to arrive in Milan in good position.” Beloki, Galdeano undergo exams
Liberty Seguros riders Joseba Beloki and Igor González de Galdeano underwent extensive testing Monday and Tuesday in a Madrid clinic to try to discovery what’s been ailing the team’s star riders. Both have been hampered with flu-like symptoms throughout the winter and early spring racing season. The attended the La Fraternidad de Madrid clinic and underwent extensive exams with doctors Fernando Cuevas y Jesús Olmos. Results are expected within a week. González de Galdeano is expected to return to training this week after a two week break while Beloki is expected to start the Vuelta a Aragon in mid-April.