INQUIRER Sports

MONACO—The Tour de France is ready for another edition with Lance Armstrong in the lineup. Saturday’s first short stage may show whether Armstrong is ready to challenge for another title.

Cycling’s biggest name is also its comeback kid as the three-week race begins in Monaco, with a time trial likely to show right away whether Armstrong’s 37-year-old legs still have it. Armstrong said he was ready to compete against the best.

The Tour starts with a 15.5-kilometer (9.6-mile) first stage along the hilly streets and hairpin turns of Monaco—a Mediterranean principality better known for Formula One than for huffing two-wheelers.

The stage is likely to offer an early shakeout of potential title contenders who will want to at least hold their own in the race against the clock.

Specialists in the discipline include Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, who won gold in the time-trial at the Beijing Olympics, and Bradley Wiggins of Britain.

They could capture the race leader’s yellow jersey, though they aren’t expected to fare as well when the race reaches the Pyrenees in Stage 7. Among overall race hopefuls to watch Saturday are Cadel Evans of Australia, Russia’s Denis Menchov, and 2007 champion Alberto Contador, for whom the course is almost tailor-made because of its hilly layout.