Armstong may visit the Tour

Inspired by the performances of Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer of the Discovery Channel team, seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong told AFP he may change his mind and visit the last few days of the Tour. That was a day before the Tour's final mountain stage in the Pyrénées and before news about Vinokourov had broken.

Armstrong had strong words then in the Rasmussen case, saying that "it's 2007, everyone's accessible by cell phone, e-mail or Blackberry." He also stated that "I declared where I was 365 days a year. Everybody has to play by the same rules."

Armstrong also talked to MSBNC on Wednesday, after it was announced that Cristian Moreni had tested positive for testosterone and Moreni's team, Cofidis, had quit the Tour, but before the Rasmussen pullout was announced. The Texan declared that "this shows that the controls work. Cycling does more [in the fight against doping] than any other sport."

The outspoken American compared the Vinokourov case to the one of Tyler Hamilton, adding that "it doesn't make sense. Why would someone take the risk and make the same mistake?"