Lance Armstrong has made a change to his early season racing schedule, according to marca.com, who cite the RadioShack team as a source. He is now to ride the Criterium International on Corsica on March 27th and 28th. This precludes his participation in the Volta a Catalunya, which takes place between March 22nd and 28th.
If true, this news means that Armstrong’s much-anticipated first clash with former teammate and big Tour de France rival Alberto Contador will be postponed to a later date.
The Criterium International consists of a flat stage, a hilly stage, and a time trial, and is known as the mini Tour de France, not least because it is organised by Tour de France owners the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). Armstrong has only participated on two previous occasions finishing second in 2002, less than one second behind winner Jose Alberto Martinez, and third in 2005 behind Jens Voigt and Jose Ivan Gutierrez. This year’s race leaves the Charleville-Mézières region in northeast France, where it has been since 2001, to take place on the island of Corsica.
Armstrong recently began his 2010 racing campaign with a respectable 25th place in the Tour Down Under in Australia.