Team Is in Place for Armstrong

The Discovery Channel pro cycling team announced Wednesday the eight riders who will support Lance Armstrong’s bid to win a historic seventh consecutive Tour de France.

Of the eight, only George Hincapie, the other U.S. member, has ridden with Armstrong in his first six Tour victories.

Ukraine’s Yaroslav Popovych and Italy’s Paolo Savoldelli will be first-time riders with Armstrong.

Popovych, 25, is considered one of the world’s best young competitors and is a strong contender to succeed Armstrong as Discovery Channel’s lead Tour rider next year. Savoldelli last month won the prestigious Giro d’Italia.

Notably absent is Viatcheslav Ekimov, who has been a member of Armstrong’s team for the last five years. Ekimov suffered a back injury in a training crash in April and will miss the Tour.

“I will miss Eki dearly this time around,” Armstrong said in a statement released by his team, which is the only entry from the U.S. for the 92nd Tour beginning July 2. “But I plan on riding the race with all the toughness he has shown over the years.”

The other members are Spain’s Jose Luis Rubiera, who has ridden with Armstrong the last four years; Manuel Beltran and Benjamin Noval; Pavel Padrnos of the Czech Republic; and Portugal’s Jose Azevedo, who finished fifth overall in last year’s Tour.

“I think we have fielded our strongest team ever with this formation,” said Armstrong, who has announced this will be his last appearance in the race. “It has many consistent elements from years past, like the Spanish armada for the climbs, strong guys like George, Pavel and Benjamin, the Giro winner in Savoldelli, plus a guy like Popo with a very bright future.”