Lance Armstrong insists the gathering media storm around his efforts to claim an unprecedented eighth Tour de France victory is no distraction in the chase for the yellow jersey.
An aggressive media scrum of journalists and television crews await Armstrong around the Astana team bus after every stage of this year’s race with reporters jostling for space and hanging off the 37-year-old’s every word.
As well as being the biggest profile rider in the sport, Armstrong is no stranger to controversy and has faced unfounded allegations of doping throughout his career.
Now he said he wants to help give a positive image of the race after a spate of drugs scandals in recent years.
”I think we have an obligation to tell a good story of the Tour and there are plenty of journalists down there in that press room who want to tell a bad one,” said Armstrong.
”So if the riders stay in the bus and don’t come down and talk about the race, someone down there will scheme up some conspiracy
theory which is so hairbrained it doesn’t deserve the fish wrap from three days ago.
”It’s better to come out and give a comment, I have always had an up and down relationship with the press.”
Followers of the Tour, however, might argue that Armstrong often did his best to avoid talking to the press during his seven-year
reign, for the latter part of which he was often accompanied by a bodyguard.
Armstrong began this year’s race with a low-key performance in Saturday’s time trial around Monaco as Fabian Cancellara claimed the yellow jersey.
The American stayed in the peloton for Sunday’s stage, but then exploded into race mode on Monday when he latched onto an echelon created by the Columbia team, which dragged him up from tenth to third overall.
Both the American and his Spanish teammate, 2007 champion Alberto Contador, then took more time from their rivals in Tuesday’s victory in the team time trial. — Sapa, AFP