ADELAIDE, Australia — Lance Armstrong took a more prominent role on the second day of his comeback race, putting together two attacks during today’s second stage of the Tour Down Under.
Armstrong rode at the front of the peleton and kept his prerace promise to attack when the opportunity presented itself, moving ahead on two hill sections late in the stage. He was in 120th place Tuesday and was expected to be placed much higher when the classifications were announced.
“I feel OK, but it was very hard,” he said. “Attacking on the hills wasn’t the smartest thing to do.”
Australian Allan Davis, riding for the Belgian Quick Step team, won the stage in a bunch sprint.
Self admits exchange with recruit
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas officials are checking to see if basketball coach Bill Self‘s brief encounter with a top recruit might constitute an NCAA infraction.
Self agrees he said hello to John Wall, a 6-foot-4 guard who had just played in a high school tournament in Springfield, Mo. It happened during an evaluation period last week when college coaches are not allowed contact with prospects other than to exchange greetings. Wall is rated the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2009 by .
“After the game was over, like I always do, like every coach always does, I had to catch a plane,” Self said, “so I went back to tell the coaches, ‘Congratulations, good win.’ I was approached and shook a hand and said, ‘I can’t talk to you, but you played really well.’ ”
Kansas is in the final year of a three-year NCAA probation for violations in football and men’s basketball.
Michigan hires Robinson
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan hired former Broncos defensive coordinator Greg Robinson in the same capacity. The former coach at Syracuse, fired in November after going 10-37 in four seasons, replaces Scott Shafer.
• Wyoming received a oral commitment from San Jose (Calif.) Bellarmine College Prep quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels, who also had offers from Air Force, Purdue, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV and Utah.
• Oklahoma State hired Bill Young to be its defensive coordinator, luring him back to his alma mater from Miami.
Footnotes.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Kurtis Foster, who broke his left leg 10 months ago, said he hopes to play within a month.
• The Memphis Grizzlies signed forward Darius Miles to a second 10-day contract in a move that puts the Trail Blazers on the hook for the $18 million and two years remaining on his deal with Portland.
• Atlanta Hawks forward Drew Gooden is day to day with a strained left groin.
• Anthony Kim withdrew from the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic because of a sore left shoulder, leaving the tournament that begins today in La Quinta, Calif., without a player ranked among the top 15.
• Paul Goydos is taking a leave of absence from the PGA Tour upon learning that his former wife died over the weekend. No details about the death of Wendy Goydos were available.
The Associated Press
