ADELAIDE, Australia — Lance Armstrong arrived in Australia on Sunday a few hours after his Astana team, and a few days ahead of when Tour Down Under officials expected him.
The team flew in from Europe via Singapore in preparation for the UCI ProTour race, which starts next Sunday and marks the seven-time Tour de France winner’s return to professional competition four years after he retired.
Race officials had said that Armstrong was still training at his base in Hawaii and might not arrive in Australia until midweek.
But Armstrong arrived later Sunday at Sydney International Airport, about a 75-minute flight from Adelaide. He was accompanied off his flight by Australian Federal Police and security guards.
“I believe my form is as good as it ever was for this early in January,” Armstrong said. “My fitness is probably ahead of where it would have been other years, but I’ve been training a lot earlier than the previous years as well.
“I just don’t want to get clobbered too bad. That’s my main motivation for training hard. I don’t have delusions of grandeur. I hope I get in the race and get reacclimatized to the tempo and the speed and what it’s like to be around 200 guys and a fast-moving group.
“It’s been such a long break. This is the longest break I’ve had. But … it’s nervousness and excitement.”
The cancer survivor is using his return to cycling to further the fight against the disease worldwide. While in Adelaide he will appear at two major functions, including one run by the Cancer Council of South Australia.
Besides the Tour Down Under, Armstrong will compete in the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France this year.
The Spanish Euskaltel Euskadi team and the French Bouygues team also arrived on Sunday, while AG2R La Mondiale and Caisse D’Epargne flew in on Saturday.
The Tour Down Under kicks off next Sunday and is followed by six stages from Jan. 20 to 25.
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