Armstrong, Leipheimer may contend in time trial

ARENZANO, Italy (AP) " A freak crash could impact American Levi Leipheimer's chance of winning the marathon-like time trial Thursday in the Giro d'Italia.

Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong keeps improving and could contend for the first victory of his comeback after 3 1/2 years of retirement and breaking his collarbone in March. Both race for the Astana team.

On Wednesday, Leipheimer somersaulted off his bike when someone dropped a water bottle in front of him in the feeding zone midway through Wednesday's 11th stage. The cyclist from Butte, Mont., scraped the skin off a large part of his side but escaped serious injury and quickly caught up to the main pack.

"He seems OK but it's never good to have a crash the day before the time trial," Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel said. "Until today, in my opinion, (Levi) is the best time trialist in the world this year."

Leipheimer has won three of the four time trials he's entered this year, losing only the short Tour of California prologue to Olympic time trial champion Fabian Cancellara.

Leipheimer took the bronze medal in Beijing and won both time trials at the Spanish Vuelta last year, in addition to the last time trial at the 2007 Tour de France.

Armstrong used to dominate time trials during his record run of seven Tour victories, but he's still regaining his form.

"He's definitely going to go as fast as he can, and he feels good," Bruyneel said of Armstrong. "I don't want to make a prognostic but I expect him to be in the front. I don't know if that's top five or top three or seventh or eighth. But he's definitely going to give it his all."

Armstrong has stopped speaking to reporters, apparently angry over the fallout of a rider protest he helped orchestrate in Milan on Sunday.

On his Twitter page Wednesday, Armstrong wrote, "Leipheimer had a pretty nasty spill and it was hot. Tomorrow is the big/long time trial so let's hope he recovers well."

Mark Cavendish won the mostly flat 11th stage Wednesday in a mass sprint, and Danilo Di Luca of Italy maintained a 1 minute, 20 second overall lead on Denis Menchov of Russia. Michael Rogers of Australia was third overall, 1:33 behind, and Leipheimer is fourth, 1:40 back.

Armstrong moved up two spots to 16th overall, 5:28 behind Di Luca.

Armstrong set the pace down from the Turchino climb shortly before the finish, then pulled up and dropped to the back of the pack when the road flattened out again for the final 6.2 miles. He crossed with the same time as Cavendish.

"Lance is looking better and better," Di Luca said. "I think he'll be one of the probable winners at the Tour."

Di Luca may struggle over the 37.6-mile race along the coastal area known as Cinque Terre.

"(Losing) two minutes would be OK. That would mean I'm only 40 seconds off the lead, and I could get that back in the following stages," Di Luca said. "But there are some tough downhill sections before the finish, which should suit me. It's a time trial in which climbers could hold up well against specialists."

Full of turns, climbs and descents, the time trial is so technical that nearly every rider will use their normal road bikes instead of more aerodynamic time trial versions.

"I think the winner is going to be a (mix) between a real time trial specialist and a climber and the one who has the best of those two qualities will win," Bruyneel said.

Riders will take approximately 90 minutes to complete the course, a half-hour longer than most time trials.

"That's new for everybody and not a lot of people have done such a long time trial. It will be interesting to see," Bruyneel said. "Over 60 kilometers you have to be consistent. You cannot start too fast then slow at the end. It will be better to start slow and speed up at the end.

Astana teammate Chris Horner did not start Wednesday's stage because of a muscle tear in his left calf following a crash a day earlier.

"Yesterday it seemed OK, but in the morning it's always different, and this morning he could hardly walk. There was no way he could ride his bike," Bruyneel said. "It's somebody we're going to miss."

Horner's withdrawal is a blow for Leipheimer, because he was an important support rider and 11th overall.

"Lance is getting better, now I expect him to be there instead of Chris," Bruyneel said, looking ahead to the next climbing stages.

The race ends May 31 in Rome.