Armstrong might race at worlds

The popular assumption that this year's Tour Down Under will be Lance Armstrong's
last race in Australia might be doubly wrong.
If the star cyclist can defy form and age to win his eighth Tour de France in July,
he is likely to return to Adelaide's Tour Down Under for the third-straight year.
Also, the Texan will also use this month's visit to South Australia to speak to
local riders about the men's elite world road race championship on October 3 in
Melbourne and Geelong.
Initially, Armstrong did not think the worlds course would be tough enough for his
style of racing, but as more riders scout the route and post their thoughts online,
his interest is growing.
Armstrong will arrive in Adelaide this week for the January 17-24 Santos Tour, which
he used a year ago to launch his high-profile sporting comeback.
While in Australia he will speak to local stars such as Robbie McEwen and Stuart
O'Grady about the historic world titles, which will visit the southern hemisphere
for the first time.
"It crossed my mind and then I'd heard it was kind-of a sprinter's course,"
Armstrong told AAP.
"I follow McEwen on Twitter and so I read the other day that he went down and rode
the circuit with some people - he said there's a pretty nasty one kilometre pitch in
it.
"When I saw that, I thought 'hmmm - maybe'.
"I will talk to him over at the Tour Down Under and Stuey will give some background
too."
Armstrong has friendships with several Australian riders and his fondness for
Australia is well-known.
"If it was a flat sprinter's course, it would be hard to justify for conditioning
and the trip over, but if it's a tough race...," he speculated.
"Can you imagine, Melbourne? There are going to be millions of people there, it's
going to be amazing."
It is well-known that Armstrong receives an appearance fee for racing at the Tour
Down Under, but he was genuinely amazed at the success of last year's visit.
Armstrong said if he can beat his Spanish arch-rival Alberto Contador and win the
Tour de France in July, he is likely to go through the same program again this year
and this would probably involve Adelaide as his first race of the season.
"It's one hotel the whole time, it's a fairly simple race," he said of the Tour Down
Under.
"It's the first race of the season, but you're not stressed with transfers and
super-long stages and stuff that really gets on your nerves later in the year.
"It's first-class and the organisation there really deserves a lot of pack-pats and
high fives."