“I wouldn’t say that I’m not going for the victory,” Armstrong said. “I will say, full disclaimer, that it’s not been as easy as I thought. I think it’s also fair to say that I’m not as confident in winning as I was in other years.”

Different state of mind

The biggest obstacle before Armstrong, 37, may be his team mate and the race favourite, the 26-year-old Alberto Contador. “The trick is trying to be a responsible team mate and co-leader and understand that Alberto could not just be stronger, but could be a lot stronger,” Armstrong said of Contador.

Armstrong provided a few reasons, just in case Contador’s superiority turns out to be true. He said that his body had needed time to get back in the swing of serious cycling, and that his age and a mid-season crash had slowed him. Lately, though, his training performances have shown him to be as fit as he used to be, Armstrong said. Still, he is heading into this Tour with a different state of mind.

“I don’t feel the same sense of fear that I’ve felt before,” he said, referring to a fear of failure that fuelled his drive to win. “Maybe that’s not ideal for me, but I’m comfortable with my record from before. I think I’ve proven my natural talents in 2009.”