RadioShack denies Armstrong's Suisse preference

Team RadioShack denies that Lance Armstrong has decided to ride the Tour de Suisse in June instead of the Dauphiné Libéré. The decision as to which race the American will use as his final preparation for the Tour de France has not yet been made, according to the team.

“I don't know who sent this story into the world,” team spokesman Philippe Maertens told Cyclingnews Friday morning when confronted with the rumour. “We will decide after the Tour of California.”

The two races are the traditional wind-up for the pre-Tour preparations. The Dauphiné Libéré is held this year from June 6 to 13, and the Tour de Suisse from June 12 to 20, so Tour de France riders have to choose which event will best suit them to fine-tune their form for July.

Armstrong most recently had to drop out of the Circuit de la Sarthe due to stomach problems. He is now at his home in Austin, Texas, and had announced earlier that he would not ride the Amstel Gold Race as was planned.

The team said that his programme may have to be changed yet again. His next scheduled race is the Tour of California in mid-May, and only after that will the team decide whether he will be in France or Switzerland in June.