Limoges, France - Lance Armstrong and his Astana team were also on the forefront on the rest day Monday at the Tour de France, voicing opposition against a radio ban for two stages this week.

Sixteen of the 20 teams have reportedly spoken out against the move from Tour organizers and the ruling body UCI which is designed to make the race more interesting.

According to the decision, riders will not have radio contact with team officials on Tuesday and Friday. That makes team tactics more unpredictable but has also led to safety concerns.

Talks were allegedly scheduled for later Monday, but Milram team boss Gerry van Gerwen told the German Press Agency dpa that "the UCI will have none of it and is basically not reacting."

Astana team boss Johan Bruyneel, whose riders Contador and Armstromg are placed second and third overall, respectively, is said to be the mastermind of the petition to reconsider the decision.

The seven-time champion Armstrong, who has competed in pre-radio days and after the technology was introduced, voiced his opposition.

"The race evolves, the bikes evolve, everything evolves ... Suddenly we are going to go back to a situation where directors will have to ride up into the peloton to give orders to riders - that is not a good thing.

"I remember those days, I have been around long enough to remember them. A few riders think it is a cute idea, but I don't ... The Tour de France is not the place to experiment," Armstrong said.

German rider Jens Voigt agreed: "That will lead to chaos and is rubbish. We live in the 21st century. What do we do next? Ride without a helmet?"

The helmet has been compulsory for health reasons for years, and several people in the Tour also named radio as an important means to assure safe racing, with riders informed about hazards such as sharp turns or oil spills.

"You must consider carefully whether you want to make the race more interesting at the expense of safety. Then we might as well do away with the brakes as well," said Team Columbia sports director Rolf Aldag. (dpa)