The Tour de Luxembourg is often one of the final "tune-ups" for some of the major riders in the Tour de France, and this year is no exception. In addition to providing some great racing, this year's Tour de Luxembourg will feature the first major comeback ride of Lance Armstrong since retiring midway through this years Amgen Tour of California. While this will likely give the Tour de Luxembourg more mainstream publicity than usual, I fear it may attempt to overshadow the race itself. The race will not be televised in the United States, and expect most newspaper writeups to be focused on Armstrong. You can, however, get coverage from cycling sites like this one, as well as their official facebook page ( http://tinyurl.com/29fsw2w ).
Who to watch
Both Saxobank and Radioshack will be bringing strong teams to Luxembourg this year, and while this does not mean that another team cannot step up and steal the race, most of the firepower is concentrated on these 2 squads.
Odds On Favorite: Frank Schleck(SAX)
I believe that last year's champion will be motivated and ready to defend his title on his home soil.
Top Contender(s): Andreas Kloden(RSH), Lance Armstrong(RSH)
Though it should likely be Kloden, there is a chance Armstrong could take over leader position on his Radioshack team. Kloden probably poses the biggest threat to Schleck and his Saxobank squad because Kloden also has a strong squad behind him.
Dark Horse: Kim Kirchen(KAT)
Kirchen is an experienced rider who also has a good knowledge and familiarity with Luxembourg. Though he does not have as much firepower behind him as Kloden and Schleck, but if his teammates do their job, Kirchen may find himself in a position to win next Sunday.
The Prologue of the race starts Wednesday, and Stage 1 officially kicks off on Thursday (June 3).
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