Cycling: Armstrong more motivated than ever

WASHINGTON - Six-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong said he is more motivated than ever to win the prestigious cycling race one more time before he retires.

His Discovery team announced their nine-man squad for next month's tour.

They include most of the riders who helped propel Armstrong to his record sixth successive win last year plus two powerful newcomers to the squad -- Giro d'Italia champion Paolo Savoldelli and Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych, who won the Tour of Catalonia a month ago.

The others in support are American George Hincapie -- who has raced alongside Armstrong for all of his tour victories -- Spain's Jose Luis Rubiera, Manuel Beltran and Benjamin Nadal, Pavel Padrnos, of the Czech Republic, and Portugal's Jose Azevedo.

"I think we have fielded our strongest team ever with this formation," said Armstrong, 33, who is retiring after the race ends on July 24.

"It has many consistent elements from years past. I'm more motivated than ever."

Team chief Johan Bruyneel said he had decided to surround Armstrong with experienced racers who have helped him to victory in past years in France.

But he said the team would miss injured Russian Viatcheslav Ekimov, Armstrong's most experienced teammate with 14 Tour de France finishes.

Armstrong finished an encouraging fourth this month in the week-long Dauphine Libere, a traditional tour warm-up.

- REUTERS