Cycling: Armstrong ignored at tour unveiling

PARIS - Cycling legend Lance Armstrong is gone and it appears the Tour de France is keen to forget him.

When next year's itinerary for the world's greatest cycle race was unveiled here today, Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc mentioned the seven times winner only once.

The American who imposed a merciless grip on the July event before retiring appeared just three times in a 10-minute video which looked back at the 2005 race.

Armstrong was shown pulling past German Jan Ullrich in the prologue, when he crossed the line at the finish of the team time trial and standing on the Champs Elysees podium listening to the American national anthem at the end of the race.

"I'm a little surprised that Lance was ignored like this," said Johan Bruyneel, manager of Armstrong's Discovery Channel team. "He won this race seven times in a row, no one has done this before. The Tour helped him become what he is now."

Tour officials admitted they were glad to see Armstrong's domination come to an end.

"At last this race is going to be open again," said Leblanc. "It was tiresome to see the same scenario repeat itself every summer."

Leblanc is to step down at the end of 2006 after 17 years in charge and will be replaced by deputy director Christian Prudhomme.

Both men took the opportunity to warn riders of the risks of doping and they called for tougher sanctions to rid cycling of its most serious problem.

Leblanc said he was upset after sports daily L'Equipe in August accused Armstrong of using the blood-boosting substance erythropoietin when he won his first Tour in 1999. Armstrong has denied ever taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Leblanc called on the sport's ruling body and the World Anti-Doping Agency to up the fight against "the doping plague".

"I felt like I was pointed out when they talked about doping," said Bruyneel. "They spoke for about 15 minutes and 12 of them were about this single matter.

"If it was my show I'd have run it a different way. We were here to learn about next year's course."

Although Armstrong is retired, it doesn't mean the Texan will never appear at the Tour de France again.

Next year, fans may still see him stepping out of the Discovery Channel bus.

"Lance is still motivated by the Tour," Bruyneel said. "He is still motivated by planning things.

"His role inside the team is still to be decided. We will see if he comes next year."

- REUTERS