Lance Armstrong's former team-mate Jonathan Vaughters says Christian Vande Velde can stop the seven-time Tour de France winner's bid for another title.

Armstrong announced on Tuesday that he was coming out of retirement and planning to compete in the 2009 Tour.

But Vaughters, who is director of the Garmin-Chipotle team, said: "Christian will be a better rider than Lance."

Vande Velde, who came fifth in this year's Tour, leads the Tour of Missouri after winning Wednesday's time-trial.

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Briton Mark Cavendish, who took a 12-second lead into the third stage after winning the first two stages, finished 41st and fell to 36th overall - trailing by 3:49.

Armstrong's announcement that he is to come out of retirement has been greeted with a mixed reaction by the cycling community.

Alberto Contador, the 2007 Tour de France champion, said he would welcome the 36-year-old with "open arms" although Rabobank team leader Adri van Houwelingen doubted Armstrong's ability to "come back on the level he had before".

And Vaughters says Garmin-Chipotle's 32-year-old American Vande Velde will give Armstrong stiff competition for an eighth title.

"Christian can show the fact he was fifth in the Tour de France this year was not because of the absence of other people," said Vaughters, referring to Contador and Levi Leipheimer's Astana team being thrown out of this year's race.

"It's because he's actually that good of an athlete. So to me, there's really only up side. We just have to up our game a little bit."

Armstrong will reveal more about his plans in New York on 24 September.

(BBC)

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