Cycling: Armstrong Set for One Last Heave

Although Lance Armstrong has learned to better any human challengers in the Tour de France, even the man who conquered cancer cannot overcome the passage of time. Any tell-tale streaks of grey in his hair are concealed by his crew-cut but from 12 minutes to seven tomorrow evening, when his final Tour starts in the little port of Fromentine, he will be scrutinised for any signs of aging.

Armstrong acknowledged yesterday that time may be his biggest enemy here. He will be 34 in September and in the last 60 years only two cyclists have won the Tour at an older age - Gino Bartali and Joop Zoetemelk are now regarded as two-wheeled miracles of longevity. Miguel Indurain's last Tour win came at 31, Bernard Hinault's at 30 and both men were safely retired by the time they reached the age Armstrong is now.

"The older you get the more dangerous it is, the higher the risk that you lose," said Armstrong yesterday as he looked forward to his final Tour, after which he will retire from professional racing - although he has hinted he may turn out in the occasional amateur event.

"Time is not on my side but I feel strong, motivated and ready to go. I can't complain too much about what my birth certificate says."

As ever, he surveyed the press here with what one sportswriter has termed "the look": an intent, narrow-eyed gaze, scanning the room for potential enemies who might raise the "D" word - "drugs" allegations - or the "F" word, "Ferrari", as in Michele, his former trainer, now banned on drugs charges not relating to the Texan.

Not one who admits readily to sentiment, Armstrong conceded yesterday that this Tour will not be like any other and that excess emotion may be another problem as he bids for a seventh win. "Every day will be special, every stage finish will be special," he said. "I can't let that feeling, that emotion, interfere with what I'm trying to do. It's not a promenade around France."

He admitted yesterday, in as many words, that he has had to work harder than usual to acquire the necessary condition to race this Tour but the fact that the absolute record is now his, and whatever happens in the next three weeks cannot change that, means he can relax to some extent.

"I was nervous last year because I had the impression I was up against not exactly a demon but over 100 years some of the greats of cycling had not been able to win a sixth Tour and some people said it was not possible. That was an incredible burden to carry. [This year] I'm not chasing a record, a legend, history. I'm here to have a good time and enjoy the good form I think I have.

"It has sunk in, I'm aware that this is the last time. I'll cherish these moments, the intense moments with the team, being at team meetings as the leader for the last time, certain dinners along the way with guys who have become my best friends. My main motivation is that I love what I do, I cherish every day on the bike and I'll miss it."

The spectators rather than the riders will cherish the unusually unforgiving start to this Tour, with a longer time-trial than usual, over 20 kilometres rather than the usual six or eight, and place to place over the Pont de Noirmoutier rather than on a sheltered town-centre circuit. "One bridge, five roundabouts and a whole lot of wind," as Armstrong put it.

As in 2003, the closest of his six wins, Armstrong expects the main challenge to his supremacy to come from Alexandr Vinokourov and Jan Ullrich, starting the Tour together for the first time in the pink jersey of T-Mobile, along with last year's runner-up Andreas Kloden.

"We expect a serious challenge, clearly," he said. "Vinokourov was climbing well and time-trialling well at the Dauphiné Libéré, and for various reasons is very motivated to do a good Tour. Jan is in excellent shape and will get better as the Tour goes on, so we expect them to be a major threat."

Armstrong will not be drawn on his plans for a post-cycling career, where, presumably, the sky will be the limit. He has, apparently, looked lovingly - in jest - at the Texan governor's residence and yesterday he almost denied having designs to follow his fellow Texan George W Bush to the presidency.

"You never know," he said, before adding: "Actually I shouldn't say that. I have no dreams of the White House." Potential candidates for 2008 and 2012 can rest easy. Ullrich, however, may not be quite so relaxed.