MILAN—Lance Armstrong began his reconnaissance for the Giro d’Italia on Wednesday by checking out the roads for a key individual time trial.
The seven-time Tour de France champion, who has a home in Aspen, Colo., has entered the May 9-31 race for the first time.
The Giro could be determined by the 12th stage, a 38.34-mile (62-kilometer) race against the clock in the coastline area known as Cinque Terre on May 21.
“The Giro TT is wicked hard,” Armstrong wrote in his online Twitter. “Never, ever flat and 62 kms. Doubtful for riding the tt bike as well. And the descents …?? Insane …”
After three and a half years of retirement, Armstrong is also preparing for his first races back in Europe with Astana—the Milan-San Remo single-day classic on March 21 and the five-stage Vuelta a Castilla y Leon in Spain three days later.
In his first two comeback races, Armstrong finished 29th in the Tour Down Under in Australia and seventh in the Tour of California.
