Illness hits Armstrong's Tour preparations

Lance Armstrong's preparations for the Tour de France were interrupted yesterday when the American was forced out of a low-key race in western France.

Seven-times Tour champion Armstrong pulled out of the Circuit de la Sarthe with gastro-enteritis after he missed the Milan-San Remo classic last month for the same reasons.

"Maybe we will have to change his programme again. That's work for the coming days," Alain Gallopin, a sports director with Armstrong's team RadioShack, said in a team statement.

Armstrong, who had an indifferent start to the season, showed signs of improvement in last weekend's Tour of Flanders, finishing the 262-kms one-day race in the favourites' group.

"Lance was really keen on performing well, especially in the time trial of Wednesday afternoon," Gallopin added.

"He showed his growing condition in the Tour of Flanders, where he came in with the first group sprinting for fifth place."

The 38-year-old Texan, however, is now due to fly back to the United States, missing three much-needed days of racing in France and the April 18 Amstel Gold Race.

There is also little chance that he will take part in the Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege classics on April 21 and 25.

His next race is likely to be the May 16-23 Tour of California.

RadioShack said Armstrong would fly back to the United States, "as soon as his condition allows".