Interview with Lance Armstrong

CN: We have heard that you previewed the Ligurian time trial. What did you think of it, and will you use a normal road bike like Damiano Cunego?
LA: It is very hard; I think that anyone who has gone and seen it is surprised by its difficulty. I don't think that is a bad thing – it's exciting.

I do think it's suited to a traditional road bike with some sort of aero setup. That is based primarily on the number of climbs, which are long, sustained and not easy. Over the course of 62km there is approximately 1500 metres of climbing, which means it is a real day's work in terms of climbing.

clipped from www.cyclingnews.com Cyclingnews: What are the big differences in the peloton since you retired in 2005? Lance Armstrong: I am honestly still trying to figure that out. It is tricky for me to figure out so far because Australia has been an anomaly and California is kind of an anomaly. I can tell you that from Australia and the Tour of California the racing has been fast. I think that's good for racing, good for the sport... You roll around in Australia and all of a sudden you are on the limit, and you say to some guy, 'I thought this was a fun race.' I thought it was one of these races where guys have a beer the night before and then show up and race the next day. The next thing you know, this year we are all in the gutter and suffering on the limit. There is a lot of added attention and pressure from their sponsors and teams. So the guys came fit and ready to race. That happens, and shit, the thing rolls down the road a lot quicker.