Newcastle boss, Alan Pardew

Alan Pardew believes his Newcastle United side is capable of beating Chelsea for the second consecutive time at Stamford Bridge when the two sides meet on Saturday.

The Magpies secured a memorable victory over Roberto Di Matteo’s charges in May thanks to two sensational strikes from Papiss Cisse, reports Goal.com.

However, Chelsea has since bolstered their ranks with the likes of Eden Hazard, who has assisted five of his side’s total of six goals in the Premier League so far, and Oscar - but Pardew insists his team are more than capable of matching the Blues.

"Chelsea are the European champions. They won the Champions League and they have improved since then - Hazard looks a great buy. We know him well, so we know what to expect from him,” Pardew told reporters.

He continued to explain, "There are no surprises in that team, but I think in some ways, we can match them and give a good showing there.

“Certainly with this team, I think we are a little bit stronger than last year."

Newcastle finished above Chelsea for the first time since the 2002-03 season thanks to the three points gained in the closing stages of last season and Pardew ranks the victory at Stamford Bridge as one of his greatest of his career.

"I had never won at Chelsea in any capacity. I have been there many times and it's a very difficult place to win, so that would go down as one of the great victories," he said.

Trek, the bike company with whom Armstrong has a sponsorship agreement, said it is analyzing the situation and following developments. The company also sells two fitness-style bikes that are branded "Livestrong."

Len Zanni, vice president of marketing for Honey Stinger, another sponsor of the foundation is remaining as a sponsor.