Armstrong shows a flash of greatness

Lance Armstrong was in first place when he stood on his pedals, powering through the throaty voices and the pounding of cheer sticks on the barriers.

There was still one more lap to go during this final stage of the Tour Down Under. Armstrong wasn’t going to win the race or even the stage. But in this moment he sent a message. There was power in his move and strength and most of all confidence.

The 37-year-old Armstrong wouldn’t magically pounce at a crucial moment and, whoosh, be away, ahead of the field, like the good old days of winning seven straight Tour de France titles. Not yet anyway.

But Armstrong showed his oomph once this afternoon when he made a move to chase down a breakaway, when he tested his fitness, his legs, his desire to fight. He passed all three checks.

Next up is the Tour of California next month. Armstrong stated firmly that he and his Astana teammates would be riding in support of two-time defending California champion Levi Leipheimer. Which doesn’t mean Armstrong doesn’t have certain ambitions over the next month.

“Drop a couple of pounds,” Armstrong said. “California will be harder with longer, steeper climbs, longer stages. Two time trials. Recovery, how I recover will be important.”

The 498-mile Tour Down Under was won by Australia’s Allan Davis of the Belgian Quick Step team. Winning the final stage was Italian Francesco Chicchi of Liquigas. But the final day belonged to Armstrong, who didn’t do what he had said he would do in the tricky final stage -- stay out of the fight.

Instead Armstrong engaged the peloton in the 17th of the 18 laps around Adelaide, “Just for fun,” he said after finishing 29th overall, 49 seconds behind Davis.

As for this week, his first of competitive road racing since he won his final Tour de France in 2005, Armstrong was moderately pleased.

“I felt pretty good,” he said. “I was very curious how I’d do. I can come in with expectations that can be unrealistic having not had any experience for the last three and a half years. But just based on my training I expected to be in the first few on the climbs. I guess I can say I was able to do that. It’s in line but there’s still a long way to go. I’m pretty happy.”

Other veteran riders who have participated in this race said they’ve seen moments that convince them Armstrong will be a rider who matters as the season progresses.

“I think Lance is exactly where he wants to be at this point,” said former teammate and longtime friend George Hincapie, who races for the U.S.-based Team Columbia.

Armstrong said if he had any second thoughts about coming back, it was during Friday’s long, wind-blown stage through the Barossa Valley wine country. “I was hurting,” Armstrong said. “I didn’t have a good day. My legs were screaming at me all day long and I was thinking, ‘Wow, that’s not fun.’ But the next day was a lot better.

“That’s the way it’s going to be, with good days and bad days. I have to focus on the habits, all the little things. When you’re 37 you can’t just get by like when you were 27, no way. You have to double down hard on all those little things.”

Astana team director and long-time Armstrong associate Johan Bruyneel said it will be important to see how Armstrong recovers physically from his first significant and prolonged racing effort.

Astana will hold a pre-Tour of California camp in Santa Rosa Feb. 4-10 and Armstrong said he plans to make another trip to a wind tunnel in San Diego to fine-tune equipment and for positioning issues. But of one thing there is no doubt. “I’m glad to be back,” Armstrong said.

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diane.pucin@latimes.com