Chris Carmichael is impressed with Lance Armstrong's improvement following a three and a half year...
Lance Armstrong heads out (Image credit: Luca Bettini)
Chris Carmichael is impressed with Lance Armstrong's improvement following a three and a half year break from professional cycling. The American is training the seven-time Tour de France winner for his comeback that starts this month in Australia at the Tour Down Under, 20 to 25.
"The progress I am observing is equal to what he had before retiring," Carmichael said to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Carmichael first noticed the American at the 1989 Junior World Championships in Moscow. He helped Armstrong to win the Tour de France from 1999 to 2005. Armstrong retired after the 2005 edition, but announced his comeback this last fall.
"At first he thought he would not be in acceptable form for the first races. He will continue to train in Australia because he is still at the start of the road leading to the Tour de France [July 4 to 26 - ed.]."
Carmichael arrived in Hawaii this week to meet Armstrong. He is training on the American Island prior to the Tour Down Under. (GB)
Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
