Armstrong regrets race strategy
In hind sight, should’ve ridden on cobblestones
REIMS, France – Lance Armstrong’s flat tire has done more than just deflate some of his hopes for another Tour de France victory. It’s also caused a bit of second-guessing within his RadioShack team.
Before Wednesday’s flat fourth stage, won by Italy’s Alessandro Petacchi in a sprint, Armstrong said he and his teammates could have better managed the cobblestones where he punctured a tire and lost time the previous day.
“In hindsight, as a team, I think we all agree we could have ridden differently yesterday,” Armstrong said.
He said “you obviously get more flats” on the roadsides instead of the cobblestones. Some riders use the sides to avoid the jarring bumps over the stones. While Armstrong took about 45 seconds to get a new tire, rivals like Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck gained seconds that will be valuable when the race reaches the mountains later on.
The overall standings remained the same after Wednesday’s 95.4-mile ride from Cambrai to the champagne capital Reims.
Lampre rider Petacchi earned his second stage win this year in a mass sprint, with Armstrong and other title contenders finishing safely in the pack with the same time: 3 hours, 34 minutes, 55 seconds. Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara retained the yellow jersey.
Armstrong – 18th overall – crossed 36th. Tyler Farrar (Wenatchee) finished the stage 23rd and is 165th overall.