Lance Armstrong will secure a podium finish in the 2009 Tour de France today in a fractured and divided Team Astana behind winner and team mate Alberto Contador, but he’s already looking ahead to building a team around himself for next year’s Tour sponsored by Radio Shack.
The Texas-based electronics conglomerate follows in the footsteps of US Postal and Discovery Channel, who have sponsored previous teams during the Texan’s run of seven consecutive Tour de France wins. Armstrong has indicated on his Web site that he will build a team for next year’s Tour and plenty of other activities surrounding his anti-cancer vehicle Livestrong.
As to who else will be on the team, no one other than Armstrong has been confirmed. Johan Bruyneel, the director of Astana, has indicated that he will be leaving the team next year, and given his history with previous Armstrong teams he would be a strong candidate to steer Team Radio Shack.
Armstrong has already built a developmental team of young riders called Trek-Livestrong, which did not compete at this year’s Tour but could provide some domestiques to help the champion out in future races. Team captain Taylor Phinney is one of a number of young American riders who could well make the easy transition. Former US junior national road champion Ben King is another. The full Trek-Livestrong rider list also includes Ryan Bauman, Sam Bewley, Ben Bradshaw, Cody Campbell, Guy East, Ryohei Komori, Taylor Kuphaldt, Julian Kyer, Bjorn Selander and Jesse Sergent.
Phinney won the Under 23 Paris-Roubaix in June, riding with three of his Trek-Livestrong team mates in the final leading group of the road race.
