Armstrong rivals aim to spoil party

Lance Armstrong shook off a crash when preparing for the Tour de France by finishing second in the opening time trial on Saturday
He appears ready for his bid to win a seventh consecutive yellow jersey for what will be his retirement race.
Armstrong's main rivals, Jan Ullrich of Germany and Italian Ivan Basso, have declared however they don't plan on giving him an easy time of it before he hangs up his bike for good on July 24 when the race arrives in Paris.
The 33-year-old American escaped with only a cut to his face after crashing on his time-trial bike in training while trying to fend off a wasp when he was riding at less than 30km/h, his Discovery Channel team said.
"Fortunately, I haven't felt any ill effects from the crash in terms of pedalling. I feel I'm just as fluid as I was before," said Armstrong, who is believed to have hit his head in the crash, smashing his helmet in two.
With no lasting damage, Armstrong continued his training at Nice in southern France with the eight other Discovery Channel team riders who he hopes will help him to give the team's new sponsor their first major win in the sport.
And while he is quietly confident he can bow out with his domination of the world's toughest, and fastest, three-week 'Grand Tour' intact, Germany's 1997 winner Ullrich and last year's third place finisher Basso hope the race will pan out differently.
For Ullrich, there's simply no point in winning the yellow jersey eight years after his first and only victory if he can't beat Armstrong to it.
Basso meanwhile has looked a yellow jersey contender since he won the race's white jersey for the race's best finisher aged 25 years old or under a few years ago, and since his podium finish last year the CSC team leader has vastly improved his Achilles heel, the time trial.
But both men will have to be extra determined if they are to get past Armstrong and his finely-tuned team which includes a Spanish-inspired climbing trio who are expected to set a winning pace for him in the key mountains stages.
American George Hincapie, the only rider to have been with him on all previous six victories, is also included as is Tour of Italy champion Paolo Savoldelli, and a future Tour de France contender in Yaroslav Popovych of Ukraine.
"I think we have fielded our strongest team ever with this formation," Armstrong boasted after the team was announced last week.
"It has many consistent elements from years past, like the Spanish armada for the climbs, strong guys like George, Pavel (Padrnos) and Benjamin (Noval), the Giro winner in Savoldelli plus a guy like Popo (Popovych) with a very bright future."
In reality, Armstrong - the Tour's only six-time winner - has little to prove on the race which relaunched his career after his successful fightback from cancer in 1997.
After what has been described as the world's greatest ever sporting comeback - give or take a few detractors - Armstrong has been heralded the world over.
Win or lose, it will be a fitting end to a career that has known plenty of highs and lows, both on and off the bike.
Having conquered France ? on sports terms at least ? and the hearts and minds of everybody else the future looks bright for the man who can count American president George Bush as his buddy and rock star Sheryl Crow as his girlfriend.
On the other hand, the next three weeks could prove hellish as Basso, Ullrich and perhaps one or two others bid to make it a sad farewell.
Earlier this month at the Dauphine Libere, Armstrong affirmed that the only person he was worried about was Ullrich, who can count on the support of crafty Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov and Italian Giuseppe Guerini and Spain's Oscar Sevilla in the mountains.
"I think he (Ullrich) is ahead of schedule this year - and looking at the reports I would say their team is back and stronger than ever," said Armstrong.
"I don't think we'll see Jan Ullrich finishing off the podium this year."
He added: "Clearly, Jan is the team leader, but what makes them dangerous is the combination of the three. (Andreas) Kloden and Jan are riding better and (Alexandre) Vinokourov is the same as ever ? so there's a potential triple threat."
Nevertheless, there seems to be no weak points in Armstrong's team and the American has the psychological edge.
Ullrich has lost to Armstrong every time the pair have lined up together on the race, although in the light of Armstrong's imminent departure, Ullrich seems to be getting more determined.
"I've always said winning the Tour against Lance Armstrong carries greater weight.
That's why I plan to do it in his last year," said the 31-year-old Ullrich, who finetuned his preparations at the Tour of Switzerland last week.
"I feel much better than I did a year ago. I feel like I'm running at about 90 to 95 per cent right now and don't feel like I'm out of power."
Three of Ullrich's five runner-up places were earned when he has raced against Armstrong. Ullrich finished second in 1996 behind his former teammate Bjarne Riis, and in 1998 behind Italian climber Marco Pantani.
Yet it remains to be seen if Armstrong's retirement persuades Ullrich to take chances, and attack on the race's several climbing stages instead of following his American rival's back wheel in the hope that he can simply limit the damage.
After Ullrich's third place overall in Switzerland ? where he appeared to labour on a dramatic final day of climbing ? Armstrong's long-time team manager Johan Bruyneel said the signs were good.
"I expected him (Ullrich) to do better," said the Belgian.
"(But) I still think he'll be there for the tour. He's been in similar situations leading up to the Tour."
Basso meanwhile appears to be over the illness which compromised his bid for glory at the Tour of Italy in June.
And at the Dauphine, Armstrong admitted he has noticed a new improved challenger in the Italian.
"If you look at his performance in the Tour of Italy, you can see he's more dangerous than ever because he's improved a lot in the time trial, his position is better and the speed at which he was riding was incredible," said Armstrong.
"He's changed as a rider and as an athlete."
And Basso said he knows there is only one way to the top step of the podium this time next month.
"I know that just a place on the podium is no good to me," said Basso, who lost his second place overall on the Tour last year to Andreas Kloden after a poor time trial on the penultimate stage.
"But I also know I'm feeling stronger than last year, whether in the mountains or on the time trials, so you will see me attacking this year." ? AFP