Men's road race a one-day special
Lance Armstrong predicts "a one- shot deal" in Wednesday's 222-kilometer men's Olympic road race on the Buckhead circuit--and the Texan hopes to beat the rest to the draw.
With professionals and amateurs merging this year as "elites," the road race has been slotted into the hectic European schedule of major figures such as five times Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain.
Now that Indurain and world road race champion Abraham Olano are in the team, Spain are no longer the also-rans of past Olympic road races.
There is a distinct glow about their prospects. Whether it is gold, silver or bronze, Wednesday's tactics will decide, but Armstrong will be vigilant for the one-day specialists.
"It depends on who plays it the smartest," Armstrong said. "It is going to be more tactical than a race of strength. A one-shot deal, and it will be fast and intense from the beginning.
"The course is not challenging, but if the humidity is high and there is heat that will change.
"I am super-motivated and I hope that makes up for what I missed on the Tour. I have been really fast over my usual training route, and if that is anything to go by then I am in the best shape of my life."
The American winner of European one-day classics--his latest was the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race in April--pulled out of the Tour de France because of a chest infection.
"I did not take any antibiotics because with the Games coming up that would have been the end of my chances. You can win the Tour or classics but to Americans only the Olympics count."
Laurent Jalabert, another potential medallist, knows it will be impossible to control the race with teams of five. "I am not the leader of the French team," said the world number one who also quit the Tour with sickness.
"Circumstances will dictate who that will be. A succession of small climbs and bends will wear out a lot of riders."
Olaf Ludwig, the 1988 Olympic champion, is making his last major appearance before retiring, but for Germany the absence of Jan Ullrich is a bigger blow.
As the revelation of the Tour with a second-place finish behind Danish winner Bjarne Riis, the 20-year-old seemed a natural selection. His national federation was ready to push for his late inclusion but Ullrich refused.
Before the Tour he had been given one choice: Race the Tour or the Olympics, but not both. He chose the Tour.
Riis will line up on Wednesday, but the Danes will look to Rolf Sorensen, one of those single-day experts that Armstrong warns about.
Jalabert and Belgium's Johan Museeuw are also on his list plus the whole Italian team. "All five of them are potential winners," said Armstrong who hopes to make it a home win as Alexi Grewal did 12 years ago in Los Angeles.
This story written by Reuters correspondents
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