Cycling: Armstrong Set To Return To S.F. Grand Prix

By James Raia

Lance Armstrong, the six-time Tour de France champion and the U.S. Postal Service team, will lead a record number of men's and women's teams competing Sept. 12 in the T-Mobile International in San Francisco.

The U.S.P.S. squad will feature at least five teammates who rode with Armstrong in his 2004 Tour de France win – Portugal’s Jose Azevedo (5th overall, 2004 Tour de France), Russian Viatcheslav Ekimov (silver medalist, 2004 Olympic time trial), American George Hincapie (winner of the inaugural San Francisco race in 2001), and Spain’s Jose Luis Rubiera, and Benjamin Noval., 2003 T-Mobile International champion.

Olympic bronze medalist Bobby Julich of Reno, Nev., top-10 Tour de France finisher Levi Leipheimer of Santa Rosa, Calif., and 2004 Tour of Italy stage winner Fred Rodriguez of Emeryville are also scheduled to compete.

Julich, riding for CSC, recently won the bronze medal in the Olympic time trial in Athens. His 2004 season includes a top-three finish at Paris-Nice and fourth overall at Criterium International.

Leipheimer (Rabobank) has finished in the top 10 in two Tours de France (eighth in 2002 and ninth in 2004) and placed third overall at the 2001 Tour of Spain.

Julich and Leipheimer will be riding on a composite team. Rodriguez, the current U.S. Professional Champion, will lead the Italian Aqua e Sapone squad. Rodriguez is also the current Pro Cycling Tour points leader.

Also scheduled to compete: Sweden's Magnus Backsted, the reigning Paris-Roubaix titlist, and Italy's Andrea Tafi, the 1998 Italian National Champion and winner of five World Cup events, including the 1999 Paris-Roubaix and the 2002 Tour of Flanders; and Tour de France stage winner Salvatore Commesso, also of Italy.

The 20-team men's race will begin 10 a.m., preceded by the 22-team women's pro race at 7 a.m.

The women's field will include 2003 race winner and former world champion, Nicole Cooke, reigning Olympic time trial silver medalist Dede Demet-Barry of the women’s T-Mobile team, and 2004 Pro Cycling Tour points leader Gina Grain of Victory Brewing.

For additional information, visit the web site: ProCyclingTour.com.

© Copyright 2004, James Raia

Posted with the permission of James Raia.

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