by Stephanie Gutowski 

Former World Time Trial Champion, Kristin Armstrong is in Los Angeles participating in the LA Track Word Cup this weekend. She narrowly missed the chance to ride for a individual pursuit medal after qualifying fifth with a time of 3:41.016 - just one-hundredth of a second off the pace of two-time world pursuit champion, and fellow USA teammate, Sarah Hammer. RoadBikeReview caught up with her right after the women’s team pursuit qualifying heat on Sunday to get an update.

RoadBikeReview: Why the crossover to track.

Kristen Armstrong: The track crossover is to increase my power on the road. It helps me with my finishes. I wouldn’t say that I am doing this for my time trialing. It’s more to increase my overall power…to build strength and speed.

RoadBikeReview: I have noticed more road racers doing track this year like Marianne Vos.

KA: I think her crossover is more for the points and scratch races. I think she is using the track for training…there are cold winters for her and you want to get out of there. The speed in racing is not really my strength and so I am going to give it everything I can to become a better one-day racer and I know this will help me.

RoadBikeReview: You’ve chosen to race the pursuit races and not the points or scratch events.

KA: I want to stay safe. I am not interested in keeping up with the sprinters. The training that goes along with points and scratch races involve a lot of motor pacing…a lot of leg speed. I am looking for the strength. Just the starts from the starting blocks is going to help me with my end results on the road. My riding on the track does not mean any ambitions for track in Beijing. It’s purely for the road race and the time trial.

RoadBikeReview: Will you be racing in the US this season?

KA: I’ll be at Nature Valley but other than that I will be racing over in Europe.

RoadBikeReview: Any thoughts about Nicole Cooke leaving your team for the British team.

KA: It’s a big loss for Cervélo-Lifeforce (Armstrong rode for TEAm Lipton last year)…but am guessing that there was a lot of pressure from the British national team to fill that squad. She will now have to develop those girls….make them believe in her….even the younger girls will follow as long as she delivers. She is very capable of doing that.

RoadBikeReview: Are the goals this year the Olympics and Worlds?

KA: Yup…the Olympics. The goal is the time trial….to win a medal there…and then after the Olympics the World Championship and win that jersey back.

Team Cervélo-Lifeforce 2008:
Kristin Armstrong, USA, TT World Champion 2006
Karin Thürig, Switzerland, TT World Champion 2004 & 2005
Christiane Soeder, Austria, 3rd TT World Championships 2006
Priska Doppmann, Switzerland
Sarah Düster, Germany
Emma Rickards, Australia
Joanne Kiesanowski, New Zealand
Patricia Schwager, Switzerland
Pascale Schnider, Switzerland
Caroline Steffen, Switzerland.