Armstrong surprises field with late attack

tour down under 2010, tdu 2010, tdu, stage 4, andre greipel, lance armstrong, team sky, radioshack, htc columbia

published 22 January 2010

Lance Armstrong laid his cards on the table today as his team tried to break HTC Columbia's vice like grip on the leader's ochre jersey.

The American's audacious attack had the field in panic as a full scale chase in the cross winds split the peloton and only brought him back with three kilometres to go.

But the RadioShack duo couldn't hold on. They got brought back and then found themselves fighting for position as the lead group got smaller and smaller as the cross winds took their toll. "It seemed to be getting even windier, and there was constant fights for position," said Armstrong. "Then what happens, you get pushed to the back a little bit, and then guys sit up in the last two [kilometres]. I got around a few guys, stayed in contact and then ......."

Armstrong eventually lost 17 seconds as gaps opened up in front of him, meaning he's now 47 seconds down on Greipel with just one hard stage to come tomorrow. Although he sounded like a man who'd missed his chance when interview after the stage, he admitted to being more than happy with his form, "It feels different than last year, more comfortable, both pedalling and bunch positioning. It's already a big advantage, and yeah, my condition is already a little advanced, and my weight is lighter."

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Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine, Simon has been working at the title since 2001. He fell in love with cycling 1989 when watching the Tour de France on Channel 4, started racing in 1995 and in 2000 he spent one season racing in Belgium. During his time at CW (and Cycle Sport magazine) he has written product reviews, fitness features, pro interviews, race coverage and news. He has covered the Tour de France more times than he can remember along with two Olympic Games and many other international and UK domestic races. He became the 130-year-old magazine's 13th editor in 2015.

Armstrong surprises field with late attack

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