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Just days before the start of the 2009 Tour de France, Lance Armstrong sat down with the Associated Press for an interview.

He is realistic about his chances to win the race, saying:

“Now it’s 2009, not 2004, 2005 or 2001, that’s different”, Armstrong said in the interview. “I would love to be eternally young, but I’m not. That’s just the reality. It’s not going to be easy to win,” Armstrong added. “In December and January, I thought it would be easier. It ends up being more difficult than I thought. Perhaps because of the crash, of the complicated season or simply because I’m older now.”

If Alberto Contador proves to be stronger and in position to win, Armstrong is ready to throw his support and considerable skills behind his teammate. Just think of the possibilities that could arise when you combine the youth and ability of Alberto Contador with the tactical knowledge of Lance Armstrong. Armstrong says:

“Out of respect for him, out of respect for the team and out of respect for the rules of cycling, I would do it with pleasure”, Armstrong said by telephone after previewing the 18th stage of the Tour, a time trial in Annecy.

“We really have a clear-cut favorite [Contador] that we can say he is better than the other contenders,” he said. “Nobody wants to lose. I’m not going to act irresponsibly. Neither will Levi [Leipheimer], neither will [Andreas] Kloeden. And, at the end of the day, we will have to follow the orders of the team’s director.”

Still, there is no doubt that Lance wants to give it all he has:

“They would say that my time has come and gone and that I’m too old, that it’s very complicated, that there are other riders now,” Armstrong said. “I know those things and you could use those for motivation. I know where I am. I’ve studied my performances in training very closely, and I’m excited to race. I’m not sure that I can win, but I can tell you that the person who thinks that I get 10th … he is dead wrong.”

“I’m racing for free because I love it,” said Armstrong, who doesn’t get paid by his team. “I don’t think a lot of people would do it for free. I’m doing it because I want it, because I love it and also because I can. The sport was good to me. I had many years at the top and I’ve made plenty of money. My life is comfortable and I can do whatever I want.”

For the full interview and article from the ESPN and the Associated Press, click here.

Find out more about Lance Armstrong in our Tour de France and Road Cycling news categories.

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