Armstrong to participate in 2009 Giro d’ Italia

Lance Armstrong is very excited about his future participation in the 2009 Giro d’ Italia. This will be the very first time that he participates in the Giro, since in the past he never competed on the race, which is considered by many to be the second most important race after the Tour of France.

Armstrong’s new goal of the Giro appears to be a preparation for the Tour, but winning both of them is something quite doubtful. According to experts winning the two Grand Tours in the same year is almost impossible for someone who’s been away from this sort of competitions for almost 3 years, even someone like Armstrong, who’s now 37 years old. They think that he won’t be able to reach in only six months the same level of stability that he had when he retired.

"Everyone is saying that the Giro will serve to prepare for the Tour," Armstrong said in a written statement released by Italian organizers. He also stated that it could be that this, being his first participation on the Giro, could also be his three-week stage Grand Race of the year.

Armstrong made public his comeback to his former team Astana during the past month of September and it already has been having some problems. During the past week the Tour de France organizers called the rider an embarrassment to the Tour and accused him one more time of doping himself and/or using illegal substances to have better his performances in the past.

As a result people are already speculating that he will enter the Giro in case he won’t be able to participate in the Tour.

But not everything is bad news, the current champion of the Italian Tour, Alberto Contador, who’s as well the leader of team Astana, could be missing the Giro 2009. In which case, Armstrong will have more chances to ride as the leader of the team on that race.

The winner of the 1984 Giro and 1977 world champion, Francesco Moser, explained that at the age of 37 and with 3 years of retirement it seemed very risky to him, since racing the both tours isn’t an easy thing.

Armstrong’ schedule has as for the first race of the 2009 season, the Tour Down Under in Australia to be race between January 18th and the 25th. His next race will probably be the AMGEN Tour of California, on February (14th to 22nd).

The 2009 Giro d’Italia, which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary, will be starting on Monday 9th May and will be ending on the Tuesday, May 31, while the 2009 Tour de France has been scheduled to start on Saturday, July 4 and to be over on Sunday 26th.