TARBES, France — Lance Armstrong had an emotional reunion with the parents of his former teammate Fabio Casartelli after climbing the Portet d'Aspet pass, where the Italian rider died in a crash 14 years ago at the Tour de France.

The two riders competed together for the Motorola team when Casartelli tumbled to his death on July 18, 1995, and Armstrong has stayed in touch with the Italian's family ever since.

"We see each other once a year — sometimes more," Armstrong said before Sunday's ninth stage from Saint-Gaudens to Tarbes. "They continue to be like family to me."

Armstrong met with Casartelli's parents at his hotel following Saturday's stage. The Texan had already met Casartelli's wife and son earlier this year during the Giro d'Italia.

"Yesterday, when I saw his mom and dad, it still brings tears to their eyes to come to this region — 14 years later," the seven-time Tour de France champion said.

"For me, it's nice to see them. They're wonderful people. You know sometimes, people always want something. They're just great people. And they're nice to be around."

Three days after his teammate died, Armstrong honored his memory after claiming a solo victory in the stage leading to Limoges.

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EVANS EGGED ON: Silence-Lotto sports director Hendrik Redant is defending Australian Cadel Evans, who drew scorn from many riders after attacking in vain early in Saturday's eighth stage.

Evans, a two-time Tour runner-up, was eventually reeled in after what many rivals considered wasted effort in a breakaway attempt. He remains 18th overall, more than three minutes behind leader Rinaldo Nocentini after Sunday's ninth stage.

Cyrille Guimard, a former sporting director of several teams, likened Evans' attack to "the last cigarette of a condemned man" in comments published in Sunday's edition of sports daily L'Equipe.

But Redant pointed instead at the lack of collaboration between the rivals of Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong — seen by many as the men to beat.

"Everybody criticizes him and all he does, and they still criticize him — even on television," Redant said of Evans. "If (Astana rivals) all had the guts to go together, maybe something would have happened.

"Everybody was just sitting down, waiting to get killed off by Astana."

Armstrong, when asked about Evans' attempted breakaway, said the Australian should have known his move was doomed to fail.

"Sometimes cycling is just a lottery. You've got to roll the dice, try it and see if you're in the right group, and that wasn't the right group for him," Armstrong said. "He should have looked around, and said, 'No, not gonna work,' and gone back."

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ARMSTRONG: NOW HEAR THIS: Lance Armstrong insists the old days when Tour de France riders didn't have radio contact with their team managers should remain part of history.

The Texan says he supports a protest by 14 teams against a ban on radio earpieces decided by Tour organizers for two stages of this year's race.

Armstrong, who popularized the earpiece technology during his seven Tour victories, joined his team manager and old friend Johan Bruyneel in criticizing the ban.

"Technology evolves, the bike evolves, the training evolves — everything evolves — the fabrics we wear," Armstrong said.

If the ban stays, he said: "We're going to go back to this place where you've got directors driving up into the peloton to give orders to the riders."

"That's not a good thing," said Armstrong, who is 37. "I remember those days. I've been around long enough to remember those, and that's stupid too."

Bruyneel said 15 teams from the ICPT — the organization that represents pro teams — had appealed in writing to race organizers to repeal the ban. Twenty teams are taking part in the three-week race.

Tour organizers say banning the radios for two stages could inject drama into the race, forcing riders to devise tactics on their own instead of relying on tips from trailing team cars.

Contador, the 2007 Tour champion, agrees with teammate Armstrong. He said Sunday that he feared the lack of radios could cause top riders to lose the race if they sustained a puncture or a crash.

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LANCE: JACK, OR MICKEY? Hollywood star Robin Williams paid a visit to his longtime friend Lance Armstrong on Sunday, and joked about how the Texan has changed since his comeback.

"Stronger, sexier, larger nipples," Williams said.

Williams, who followed Sunday's ninth stage of the Tour, then tried to compare what Armstrong's comeback could look like in his Hollywood world.

"Mickey Rourke times 10. ... I don't know if you can say that," Williams said. Instead, he compared Armstrong to Jack Nicholson — and then thought better of that, too.

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Associated Press Writer Jamey Keaten contributed to this report.