On The Eve of the Tour De France

[Hostile]

pdated: July 7, 2005, 3:52 PM ET Italian avoids pileup, takes Stage 6

Associated Press



NANCY, France -- Downpours, treacherous and slick roads, buffeting winds and a nasty crash in the final dash to the finish line. Not a Tour de France day Lance Armstrong will want to remember.

The six-time champion came through soaked but unscathed and kept his overall lead Thursday in the three-week race's sixth stage from Troyes to Nancy in eastern France.

"It wasn't pretty," said Armstrong, who was 32nd and finished alongside two teammates.

One of his main challengers, Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan, took 19 seconds off the Texan's lead by surging toward the end to place second. He still trails Armstrong by 62 seconds overall.

Lorenzo Bernucci, a 25-year-old Italian racing his first Tour, won the stage. He kissed his wedding ring as he crossed the line and dedicated his first victory to his wife.

Armstrong, who plans to retire at the end of the Tour on July 24, is harboring his strength and not fighting for daily wins in this first week. He wants to be fresh for the Alps next week after the riders have enjoyed a rest day Monday.

Already, fatigue is beginning to show. There were four hills to negotiate during Thursday's 123.7-mile ride. Some racers -- not including Armstrong or his main rivals -- struggled up the final climb, even though it was a molehill compared to the high mountain passes that must be scaled in the Alps and later in the Pyrenees.

"The riders are tired. We had a relatively insignificant climb near the end of the stage, but we heard on the race radio that quite a few guys were dropped," Armstrong said. "That's not normal for this race."

He blamed the rigorous conditions and the fast pace set by leading squads.

"When you add in the tail winds, the cross winds, the rain, the weather and the high tempo the teams are riding on the front that adds up to some tired guys," he said.

The Tour veers into Germany on Friday, and a minute of silence will be observed at the start to mourn victims of the terror attacks in London. The 142-mile trek from Luneville to Karlsruhe has a couple hill climbs in the first third before flattening. The finish will most likely feature a bunched sprint.

Again, Armstrong will be looking to stay safe and avoid the misfortune that befell French racer Christophe Mengin on the tight final right-hand corner at the end of Thursday's route.

Mengin was leading when he slipped and crashed into a safety barrier. The line was almost within sight, less than a half mile away on a crowd-lined finishing straightaway.

Bernucci and Vinokourov stayed upright and dashed through to finish first and second, respectively. But at least four other racers plowed into the prostrate Mengin and went down, too, creating a jam of bikes and riders that slowed Armstrong.

"It was a hairy finish with a lot of turns," Armstrong said. "When you're stopped behind a crash like that you have to just pick your way through and try and get to the finish."

"There were bikes everywhere. I rode over a back wheel," said Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen, who won Wednesday's stage and will be looking for a second victory on Friday.


he hapless Mengin placed 128th with a puffed bruised left eye -- a sorry end to a remarkable ride. He had ridden at the front for much of Thursday's stage, breaking away from the main chasing pack early in the day.

Four other racers joined him and the small group built a lead of more than eight minutes at one point. Mengin then took the lead alone nearing Nancy, pulling ahead on the final climb. But he was tiring and about to be caught when he fell.

For his efforts, he was rewarded with the prize given each day to the most courageous or aggressive rider. The prize is worth more than $2,400.

"I look more like a boxer," the battered Mengin said.

But Mengin's misfortune was Bernucci's blessing.

"I am truly very happy," the stage winner said. "I wasn't expecting it. When I got to the end, I saw there was no one there."

 

[Hostile]

ESPN was showing an ESPY moment with Lance Armstrong earlier tonight where he accepted an award. He said he has followed the Dallas Cowboys all his life. Yet another reason to root for him.

 

[Duane]

ESPN was showing an ESPY moment with Lance Armstrong earlier tonight where he accepted an award. He said he has followed the Dallas Cowboys all his life. Yet another reason to root for him.

Can't help but love Lance - in a non-gay way (Although there's nothing wrong with that ).

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 8, 2005, 5:22 PM ET
McEwen wins sprint to finish, takes Stage 7


Associated Press



KARLSRUHE, Germany -- Lance Armstrong kept his overall lead in the Tour de France on Friday, cruising safely to the finish of a rainy seventh stage won in a sprint by Australia's Robbie McEwen.



Armstrong in overall standings after Stage 7 since '99 2005 1 2004 6 2003 2 2002 8 2001 15 2000 12 1999 5 Armstrong finished 53rd and in the main pack, recording the same time as McEwen as the Tour veered into Germany. The Texan avoided a crash in the closing straightaway that took down two riders.

Armstrong is trying for a seventh straight victory in cycling's showcase race before retirement. He leads Discovery Channel teammate George Hincapie by 55 seconds overall and Kazak rival Alexandre Vinokourov by 62 seconds.

"We've made it through the first week. There have not been any major crises -- in fact I think it's been a pretty good week," Armstrong said. "Of course these stages are always scary -- you have to stay out of trouble -- but I'm glad to be one week down, two to go."

Riders observed a minute's silence at the start of the race to mourn victims of Thursday's terror attacks in London.

Rain fell heavily for a second straight day, making roads slippery and treacherous during the 142-mile run from the eastern French town of Luneville to Karlsruhe in Germany.

The stage victory was McEwen's second of this Tour and seventh of his career. Sweden's Magnus Backstedt was the runner-up, followed by Austria's Bernhard Eisel.

"Every now and then I think, 'You're 33 now and you're going to start slowing down.' It hasn't happened yet," McEwen said.

He is vying with Belgium's Tom Boonen for the green jersey, awarded at the end of the Tour to the best overall sprinter. Boonen placed seventh Friday after crashing earlier in the stage, tearing his shorts and grazing his left buttock.

Large crowds turned out to welcome the riders as they crossed the border into Germany.

"We expected a lot of people but that was just out of this world, the amount of people standing out there in the road," McEwen said. "We only had half the road to use because there was just people everywhere. It's nice but in a way it makes it a little bit dangerous."

The eighth stage Saturday starts in the German town of Pforzheim before crossing back into France to finish in Gerardmer.

The 143.8-mile route scales five hills, including the hardest climb of the race so far -- the Col de la Schlucht. The stage should favor all-around riders who can both climb and ride hard on flats, rather than explosive sprinters like McEwen.

Armstrong hopes the climbs will help string out the field to avoid another bunched sprint at the finish where crashes are a constant risk.

"I feel certain that my condition is good enough to follow some attacks," he said. "In fact, some attacks would be nice so that we don't have a field sprint again."

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 9, 2005, 4:48 PM ET
Weening barely wins stage


ESPN.com news services



GERARDMER, France -- Lance Armstrong looked around for help and found none. He was alone, on a Tour de France climb, his rivals swarming all over him.

T-Mobile's Alexander Vinokourov, left, and Jan Ullrich, right, dialed in on Lance.


Armstrong's usually trusty teammates failed him Saturday in the first encounter with the mountains, unable to match the punishing pace set on the day's final ascent by riders determined to bring down the six-time champion.

"If it's two more weeks of days like today then you're in trouble," said Armstrong, who kept his overall lead after finishing in 20th place.

Digging in deep, Armstrong found the will and the way to fend off most of his challengers in the eighth stage, which was won by Dutch rider Pieter Weening in a sprint with Andreas Kloden. Armstrong and key rivals Jan Ullrich and Alexander Vinokourov arrived in a pack, 27 seconds behind the two leaders.

The collapse of the Discovery Channel team and the strong challenges by the powerful German T-Mobile squad bode ill for Armstrong as harder climbs loom Sunday and next week in the Alps.

"Definitely, a crisis within our team on the final climb," Armstrong said. "For whatever reason I was left alone. We had a bad day as a team and that makes it that much harder and I had to cover some big moves myself."

T-Mobile is built around Ullrich, Vinokourov and Kloden -- challengers Armstrong has decisively beaten in the past. This Tour represents their last shot at the Texan because Armstrong is retiring at the end of the three-week race on July 24.

Ullrich won the Tour in 1997 but has since finished runner-up to Armstrong three times. Kloden was second last year, when Armstrong got his record sixth win. Vinokourov, third in 2003, is perhaps the biggest danger. The Kazakhstan champion has explosive acceleration on climbs, is unpredictable and hungers for success having missed last year's Tour because of injury.

He was first to challenge Armstrong on the final Col de la Schlucht climb, surging ahead. Armstrong accelerated and caught him, only for Vinokourov to break again, following French rider Christophe Moreau.

Once more, Armstrong laid chase, followed by Ullrich. But Paolo Savoldelli, the only one of Armstrong's eight teammates who managed to stay with them to this point, was unable to match the bursts of speed, falling back and leaving Armstrong alone.

Armstrong and the other riders eyed each other warily as they continued ascending. Then, after another attack from Vinokourov, Kloden suddenly sprinted ahead. Armstrong, knowing the German trailed him by 2 minutes, 29 seconds in the overall standings, cut his losses and let him go, concentrating instead on Vinokourov and Ullrich.

"You have to pick your fights. You can't cover them all," Armstrong said. "I was trying to do my best and minimize the damage.

"I was isolated, definitely suffering," he added.

Kloden surged away, his pink team jersey unzipped and flapping in the wind.

Weening of the Rabobank team was riding ahead. Kloden caught the Dutchman at the top of the 10.4-mile ascent, and they raced downhill to the finish in Gerardmer, in eastern France.


here, Weening beat Kloden by a whisker. He covered the 143.8-mile route, which started in the German town of Pforzheim, in 5 hours, 3 minutes and 54 seconds.

Armstrong, Ullrich and Vinokourov were part of a 32-rider pack at the end. Ullrich was sixth and Vinokourov 10th. Three of Armstrong's teammates trailed nearly a minute behind, and the five others were a whopping 2:30 back.

Overall, Armstrong remained 1 minute, 2 seconds ahead of Vinokourov and 1:36 ahead of Ullrich. Jens Voigt of Team CSC moved up to second place overall, 1:00 behind Armstrong. Vinokourov is third. Kloden rose to ninth, picking up a time bonus for his second-place finish and cutting his deficit to Armstrong to 1:50.

Armstrong suggested that his team may have overworked itself while protecting his lead and the famed yellow jersey that goes with it in fast flat stages the first week.

Armstrong also had not scouted Saturday's final climb, as he does in the Alps and Pyrenees. The ascent was easier and lower than those to come.

"We really tested his legs, and we saw that he is in pretty good form, but that his team is not," Vinokourov said. "Even though this is hard to judge in a medium mountain, it's good for morale. It's a good sign. We wanted to attack him before the high mountains, we didn't want to wait."

Armstrong could have another bad day Sunday if his team struggles again on six climbs along the 106.3-mile route from Gerardmer to Mulhouse.

"We have some talking to do tonight," he said. "We held onto the jersey, but there's a lot of bruised egos on our team and we have to try and recover.

"But I know those guys, they're going to be just as disappointed if not more disappointed than I am," he added. "So I'll think they'll get better."



While the big names were exchanging their first real blows, Dutchman Weening had his day. The 24-year-old Rabobank rider belonged to a group of seven riders who broke away.

Their lead reached a maximum lead of 6 minutes, 10 seconds before Weening made his move on the Col de la Schlucht.

"I was feeling really strong; it was useless for me to stay with the other six. I fought all day and it's incredible," Weening said.

"This year I was sometimes really close and this time I made it," he said.

Involved in a bad crash on Friday, Tom Boonen, holder of the points classification green jersey, was dropped on every hill and struggled in the last climb.

He finished more than 17 minutes off the pace with Australian Robbie McEwen who, like his Belgian sprint rival, won two stages in the first week.

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 10, 2005, 4:13 PM ET
Rasmussen wins stage nine; Voigt in yellow


Associated Press



MULHOUSE, France -- Lance Armstrong is content to let someone else wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France -- for now.

He surrendered the overall lead in the ninth stage Sunday, taking the pressure off his team as the Alps await and challenges with key rivals could begin in earnest.

Armstrong's ultimate goal, however, remains unchanged: a seventh straight title at the finish in Paris on July 24 before he retires.

"We don't need the yellow jersey," said Armstrong, who is in third place, 2 minutes, 18 seconds behind the leader. "We don't need to keep it in the Alps, we need to have it at the end."

Germany's Jens Voigt -- not a contender to win in Paris -- took the jersey by finishing three minutes ahead of the six-time champion.

Denmark's Mickael Rasmussen won the stage with a gutsy solo ride. He was first over the six climbs, covering the 106.3-mile route from Gerardmer to Mulhouse in eastern France in 4 hours, 8 minutes, 20 seconds.

Voigt finished 3:04 later, just behind France's Christophe Moreau. Armstrong, who had worn yellow for five days, finished in 28th place, crossing the line comfortably in a pack with his main rivals.

"I felt like today might be the day when the jersey would be given away and it turned out it was," Armstrong said.

The riders rest Monday before the first of three Alpine stages -- from Grenoble to the ski station of Courchevel. The route has two major climbs.

Wednesday's stage is one of the hardest this year, with three ascents in quick succession peaking with the monstrous Col du Galibier, the Tour's highest point at 8,677 feet.

The good news for Armstrong is that his Discovery Channel teammates appeared to have recovered quickly from their collapse on a climb Saturday, when all eight abandoned him, unable to match the quick uphill pace. That left Armstrong alone to fend off his rivals.

"We were better," Armstrong said. "That's good going into the rest day: regroup and get ready for the big climbs."

Rivals said Discovery's blowout probably was nothing more than a temporary bout of fatigue after a fast first week of racing, and Armstrong remains the man to beat.

"Don't sell the bear's skin before you've killed the bear," Moreau said.

"That won't happen again," U.S. rider Bobby Julich of Team CSC said. "You can maybe disappoint Lance once, but it's better not to disappoint him twice."

Discovery rode hard Sunday at the front of the main pack, strategically allowing Rasmussen and then Voigt and Moreau to pedal off ahead, confident they cannot challenge Armstrong for the overall Tour title.

Armstrong teammate George Hincapie, the only Discovery racer to have ridden with the American for all of his six Tour wins, said the squad has become a victim of its own success.

When it wins events like the team time trial, which it did again this year, "nobody even says congratulations any more," he said.

Hincapie said the only news is if the team has a bad day.

"Then everybody loves that," he said.

The important thing is just put it behind us," he added. "By time we get to the Alps hopefully we'll be back to normal." Beyond the Alps come the Pyrenees, followed by a time trial on the next-to-last day of the Tour -- an event at which Armstrong excels. In short, he has plenty of opportunities to retake the yellow jersey.

Voigt of Team CSC does not expect to keep the lead.

"Today was my very last chance to take the jersey," he said.

Moreau is second overall, 1:50 behind Voigt. Because they finished together in a group, the time differences between Armstrong and his main rivals -- Jan Ullrich, Ivan Basso and Alexandre Vinokourov -- remained unchanged.

Ullrich finished 29th, Vinokourov was 35th and Basso 39th.

Rasmussen won a stage for the first time. By being first over the day's six ascents, he also accumulated points for the Tour's mountain-climbing competition. That contest awards a polka dot jersey to the rider with most points, currently Rasmussen.

"It's the only thing I'm good at, climbing mountains," Rasmussen said.

Among the ascents Sunday -- and the hardest of the race so far -- was the famed Ballon d'Alsace, first climbed on the Tour 100 years ago. Rene Pottier ascended first that day in 1905, but later dropped out of the race with tendinitis. The Frenchman won the Tour the next year.

Five riders dropped out Sunday, including American David Zabriskie of Team CSC. Zabriskie won the yellow jersey on the Tour's first day but lost it to Armstrong three days later when he fell in the team time trial. Zabriskie had struggled with injuries picked up in the crash.

"It's been a real rollercoaster for me," Zabriskie said.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

http://www.velonews.com/tour2005/details/articles/8471.0.html

ance Armstrong regained firm control of the Tour de France and the yellow jersey in Courchevel Tuesday on a grueling first day in the Alps that left all of his main rivals trailing.

Alejandro Valverde (Illes Balears) won the 10th stage, held over 192.5km between Grenoble, after beating Armstrong in a two-man race for the finish line - and the American was sporting enough to shake the young Spaniard's hand immediately afterward.

Overnight race leader Jens Voigt (CSC) finished well off the pace on a first day in the Alps which featured two category 1 climbs and the first summit finish of the race.

"It was the first big day for our team," said Armstrong, whose Discovery Channel team was found wanting last week in the Vosges when his teammates left him dangerously exposed.

"They're a super team and set a great pace for me at the front of the climb. I had good legs today, but I want to say thanks to (Michael) Rasmussen, Valverde and (Francisco) Mancebo - without them I might not have got the result I wanted."

Germany's 1997 winner, Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile), came over the finish line among a group of riders at around two minutes and 20 seconds behind Armstrong and is now more than four minutes behind his American rival.

"It was a difficult day. I didn't expect to lose that much time," said Ullrich.

Italian Ivan Basso (CSC) finished just over a minute behind while Ullrich's T-Mobile teammate, Alexandre Vinokourov, also fell away on the 21km climb to the alpine ski station, the Kazakh finishing almost five minutes behind.

"I'm not sure what happened in the mountains," Vinokourov told Reuters. "It's been a very bad day for me. The first climb was tough, but we got over that. On the second one, I completely lost it."

Armstrong, who began the day in third place overall at 2:18 behind Voigt, now has firm control of the race ahead of Wednesday's second day in the Alps, where the first unclassified climbs of the race await his challengers.

The six-time Tour champion now leads Rasmussen by 38 seconds, Basso by 2:20 and Frenchman Christophe Moreau (Crédit Agricole) by 2:42.

After benefiting from the work of his Discovery Channel team for most of the day, the 33-year-old American came into his own in the final 15km of the 21km climb to the summit finish of Courchevel. By the time they had completed a few kilometers of the day's second climb, Armstrong decided it was time to take over the operation.

Armstrong told teammate Yaroslav Popvych to punch it, and the Ukrainian all-rounder complied - nearly outpacing his team leader.

"I asked Popo' to accelerate with around 10km to go, but he really accelerated. That was a sprint!," quipped Armstrong. "He didn't even think about the crash he had earlier in the stage."

When Armstrong took over, his furious pace up the category 1 climb had devastating effects. Despite their efforts, he left Ullrich, Vinokourov and Basso all struggling, and one by one they fell out of contention.

Armstrong ended up leading a group of five riders on the final 10km of the climb, whose average gradient 6 six percent. Dane Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), wearing the polka-dot jersey for the race's best climber so far, did well to hang on while Valverde stuck close beside teammate Francisco Mancebo.

With less than 5km to race, Ullrich was already 1:28 behind Armstrong - meaning the German's hopes of upstaging the American on his retirement race were slowly slipping away.

Armstrong, meanwhile, upped the pace further for his companions with just 4km remaining, and again shortly after Rasmussen had tried to break away a kilometer further on.

In what was a thrilling finale, Armstrong broke away from the group shortly after they had passed through the tunnel beside the 1km-to-go mark, but he was pursued by Valverde.

Armstrong's efforts to dispose of his rivals for the overall appeared to damage his chances for the stage win - Valverde was hanging on his back wheel, and easily overtook the American in the final 50 meters to claim his first-ever stage victory on the race.

Armstrong admitted he had been surprised to see Valverde overtake him after their duel to the finish.

"I gave everything I had," he told The Associated Press. "I attacked and couldn't go any harder. I wanted the stage win because I haven't won a race yet this year. I'm trying."

And his efforts will continue. Looking ahead, Armstrong warned that despite his success in putting time into his rivals today, the race was far from over.

"We're in a good position as compared to some of the main rivals - but there's still a lot of racing to go," he said. "We have another day in the Alps, a transition stage then two very tough days in the Pyrenees, then the final time trial. We'll have to race smart."

And despite Ullrich's problems on Tuesday, it's clear that Armstrong still considers him an important rival.

Asked what he and Rasmussen had been talking about on the climb, Armstrong replied: "I was trying to get everybody to keep riding because I heard the time gaps for Jan and Ivan.

"Everybody here today has to be a contender. They have to put as much time into Jan Ullrich as possible, because he's gonna catch them in the Pyrenees and the (final) time trial."

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 13, 2005, 4:06 PM ET
Vinokourov wins stage with long breakaway


ESPN.com news services



BRIANCON, France -- Alexandre Vinokourov won Wednesday's second Alpine stage of the Tour de France with a solo ascent over the race's highest climb, and Lance Armstrong's overall lead remained unchanged.

The win in the 11th stage was Vinokourov's second in five Tours. His first was in 2003.

The T-Mobile rider rebounded from a disastrous ride Tuesday on the first Alpine stage, when Armstrong surged ahead of the Kazakh rider and other main rivals to retake the overall lead.

"If you don't try you will never win the Tour," said Vinokourov, who still trails Armstrong by nearly five minutes. "You have to take risks."

Vinokourov took the lead on the famed Col du Galibier, the last of three ascents on the 107.5-mile route from the ski station of Courchevel. The Galibier is the highest climb on this year's Tour at 8,677 feet.

Santiago Botero of Colombia was second over the pass, 40 seconds slower than Vinokourov. But the Phonak rider caught Vinokourov on the descent toward Briancon, and they raced to the finish, where Vinokourov beat Botero in a sprint.

Armstrong scaled the Galibier more than two minutes behind Vinokourov in a group of about 20 riders. But he reeled in some of the deficit with a speedy descent, finishing 1:15 behind Vinokourov in sixth place.

Armstrong's overall lead over second-place Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark stays at 38 seconds. French rider Christophe Moreau moved to third overall, 2:34 behind the six-time champion.

Rasmussen is the runaway leader of the Tour's mountain-climbing competition, where points are awarded on climbs, conferring a polka-dot jersey to the winner. He was not touted as a rival to Armstrong going into the Tour, but is now warranting the champion's attention.

"He is riding strong, climbing very well," Armstrong said. "He is now a threat in the race."

Vinokourov was considered one of Armstrong's main challengers when the three-week Tour started July 2. But he slipped to 16th overall, a whopping 6:32 behind Armstrong, with his poor climbing Tuesday.

Vinokourov picked up a time bonus for winning Wednesday's stage, and cut his deficit to Armstrong to 4:47. That places him 12th overall.

"We can't chase down everybody that is at five, six, seven minutes," Armstrong said. "We have to prioritize and he was not on our list of priorities, so we left him out there.

"An all-day effort is never easy and clearly he was motivated. It was impressive," Armstrong added.

Vinokourov said he was determined to make his mark after his disappointment Tuesday.

"I kept my spirits. I said to myself 'I am still going to attack,' " Vinokourov said. "I said 'I have nothing to lose.' "

He said Monday's rest day may have contributed to his difficulties the next day on the first Alpine stage.

"I think the rest day broke my rhythm a little bit," he said.

The last Alpine stage Thursday, a 116.2-mile run from Briancon to Digne-les-Bains, takes the riders over five easier ascents. The Tour then races across southern France before entering the Pyrenees on Saturday.


Armstrong's aim is to keep the overall race leader's yellow jersey all the way to Paris and retire with his seventh consecutive win.

"We are in a good position," Armstrong's team manager Johan Bruyneel said. "It is up to us now to defend it."

Jens Voigt, a German rider with CSC who led after the ninth stage, was forced out of the race after failing to finish within the authorized time limit. He finished 46 minutes and 43 seconds behind Vinokourov.

Also, doping came back to haunt the Tour on Wednesday as Italian rider Dario Frigo was arrested before the stage after doping products were found in his wife's car, police said.

 

[trickblue]

Updated: July 13, 2005, 4:06 PM ET
Vinokourov wins stage with long breakaway


ESPN.com news services



BRIANCON, France -- Alexandre Vinokourov won Wednesday's second Alpine stage of the Tour de France with a solo ascent over the race's highest climb, and Lance Armstrong's overall lead remained unchanged.

The win in the 11th stage was Vinokourov's second in five Tours. His first was in 2003.

The T-Mobile rider rebounded from a disastrous ride Tuesday on the first Alpine stage, when Armstrong surged ahead of the Kazakh rider and other main rivals to retake the overall lead.

"If you don't try you will never win the Tour," said Vinokourov, who still trails Armstrong by nearly five minutes. "You have to take risks."

Vinokourov took the lead on the famed Col du Galibier, the last of three ascents on the 107.5-mile route from the ski station of Courchevel. The Galibier is the highest climb on this year's Tour at 8,677 feet.

Santiago Botero of Colombia was second over the pass, 40 seconds slower than Vinokourov. But the Phonak rider caught Vinokourov on the descent toward Briancon, and they raced to the finish, where Vinokourov beat Botero in a sprint.

Armstrong scaled the Galibier more than two minutes behind Vinokourov in a group of about 20 riders. But he reeled in some of the deficit with a speedy descent, finishing 1:15 behind Vinokourov in sixth place.

Armstrong's overall lead over second-place Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark stays at 38 seconds. French rider Christophe Moreau moved to third overall, 2:34 behind the six-time champion.

Rasmussen is the runaway leader of the Tour's mountain-climbing competition, where points are awarded on climbs, conferring a polka-dot jersey to the winner. He was not touted as a rival to Armstrong going into the Tour, but is now warranting the champion's attention.

"He is riding strong, climbing very well," Armstrong said. "He is now a threat in the race."

Vinokourov was considered one of Armstrong's main challengers when the three-week Tour started July 2. But he slipped to 16th overall, a whopping 6:32 behind Armstrong, with his poor climbing Tuesday.

Vinokourov picked up a time bonus for winning Wednesday's stage, and cut his deficit to Armstrong to 4:47. That places him 12th overall.

"We can't chase down everybody that is at five, six, seven minutes," Armstrong said. "We have to prioritize and he was not on our list of priorities, so we left him out there.

"An all-day effort is never easy and clearly he was motivated. It was impressive," Armstrong added.

Vinokourov said he was determined to make his mark after his disappointment Tuesday.

"I kept my spirits. I said to myself 'I am still going to attack,' " Vinokourov said. "I said 'I have nothing to lose.' "

He said Monday's rest day may have contributed to his difficulties the next day on the first Alpine stage.

"I think the rest day broke my rhythm a little bit," he said.

The last Alpine stage Thursday, a 116.2-mile run from Briancon to Digne-les-Bains, takes the riders over five easier ascents. The Tour then races across southern France before entering the Pyrenees on Saturday.


Armstrong's aim is to keep the overall race leader's yellow jersey all the way to Paris and retire with his seventh consecutive win.

"We are in a good position," Armstrong's team manager Johan Bruyneel said. "It is up to us now to defend it."

Jens Voigt, a German rider with CSC who led after the ninth stage, was forced out of the race after failing to finish within the authorized time limit. He finished 46 minutes and 43 seconds behind Vinokourov.

Also, doping came back to haunt the Tour on Wednesday as Italian rider Dario Frigo was arrested before the stage after doping products were found in his wife's car, police said.

They should all be scared as Lance is leading this race much earlier than usual...

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 14, 2005, 3:52 PM ET
Moncoutie leads 1-2 French finish in 12th stage


Associated Press






DIGNE-LES-BAINS, France -- Not everything went according to plan for Lance Armstrong on Thursday at the Tour de France.

The American retained his overall lead on the last of three days in the Alps. The loss of Manuel Beltran, however, could be critical in the upcoming Pyrenees.

David Moncoutie won the 12th stage, becoming the 15th Frenchman since World War II to win on Bastille Day, France's national holiday.

Beltran, one of several riders Armstrong relies on to lead him up the Tour's brutal climbs, touched wheels with another racer and crashed on the day's first ascent, hitting his head. He was so dazed he didn't know where he was.

"He was asking, 'Where is the peloton? Where is the peloton?' " said team manager Johan Bruyneel, adding the Spaniard gingerly picked himself up off the sun-baked tarmac.

Beltran, who goes by the nickname "Triki" and has been part of Armstrong's Tour-winning team since 2003, remounted his bike with difficulty and pedaled on for about 6 miles until a race doctor said he should stop, Bruyneel said.

"We could see that he really didn't know where he was. There was no power at all and after a while he didn't even realize that he had crashed," Bruyneel said. "So we forced him to stop."

Beltran, 34, was taken to a hospital where a brain scan found no initial sign of serious injury, although he was being kept overnight for observation.

Not since 2001 has Armstrong finished in Paris without all of his teammates. Beltran's role has been to lead the American on mountain ascents, using his uphill speed to shake off rivals.

His loss "could be very critical with the days that we have coming up," Armstrong said. "Three tough days in the Pyrenees. We don't want to lose any climbers and Triki is one of our pure climbers."

The mountains that separate France and Spain come Saturday after a mostly flat stage Friday from Miramas to Montpellier in southern France.

Armstrong still has several strong climbers among his remaining seven support riders. They include Yaroslav Popovych, who helped Armstrong leave rivals behind with brutal acceleration on the first Alpine stage, and Jose Luis Rubiera, known as "Chechu."

"I feel very confident that with those seven guys we can manage," Armstrong said.

Bruyneel was less emphatic.

"There is no one really who can pick up what he was doing," Bruyneel said. "We need all the guys and everybody knows his role and he and Chechu were working in the early mountains. It's going to be tougher on the team of course, because it's one guy less and his job will have to be shared with a few guys.

"It's tough to lose a rider but the good news is that he doesn't have anything serious and that is the most important," he added.

Moncoutie took the lead on the Col du Corobin, the fourth of five ascents on the 116.2-mile trek from Briancon, and cycled alone into Digne-les-Bains past cheering crowds. The Cofidis team rider completed the route in 4 hours, 20 minutes, 6 seconds.

"It's fabulous," Moncoutie said. "I'm so happy to win. It's July 14th."


Armstrong cruised in with his main rivals in a group more than 10 minutes back. Armstrong was 41st.

His lead over second-place Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark stayed at 38 seconds, with French rider Christophe Moreau still third, 2:34 behind the six-time champion.

Italian Ivan Basso remains 2:40 back, fourth overall, with Jan Ullrich of Germany 4:02 behind in ninth.

Moncoutie is way down in the overall standings, so Armstrong did not lay chase when he and a group of other racers far from him time-wise rode off ahead.

French television hailed Moncoutie as a "clean" winner, echoing suspicions that other Tour riders may be doping. The furious racing speeds so far this year and the arrest Wednesday of Italian rider Dario Frigo have renewed such doubts. Frigo's wife was caught with suspected doping products in her car.

Moncoutie said there is no proof of widespread doping but noted that French cyclists -- who are mostly way off the pace again this year -- are discouraged.

Moncoutie placed sixth at the Dauphine Libere before the Tour. Even with the time made up with his win Thursday, he is 40th overall at the Tour, 32:06 behind Armstrong.

"At the Dauphine Libere, I managed to stay with the best. At the Tour, I no longer can," Moncoutie said. "It is like that every year. I know that the Tour goes faster. That is the way it is. So be it. You draw the conclusions you want."

Cycling's governing body said Thursday that all blood and urine doping tests from the first week of the three-week race were negative. Armstrong has been repeatedly tested.

Customs officers checked at least two vehicles from two separate Tour teams Thursday but found nothing suspicious.

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 16, 2005, 12:23 AM ET
Australian McEwen wins 13th stage


Associated Press



MONTPELLIER, France -- If Lance Armstrong keeps his lead on the steep ascents of the upcoming Pyrenees, a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory should be his.



Lance in overall standings after the 13th stage since '99 2005 1 +0:38 2004 2 -5:24 2003 1 +0:34 2002 1 +2:28 2001 3 -9:10 2000 1 +4:55 1999 1 +7:44 Given his devastating form so far, that shouldn't be a problem.

The six-time champion goes into the mountains that straddle France and Spain with a chunky margin built up over challengers in the Alps and in time trials in the first week of the three-week race.

His advantage places the onus on rivals to try to make back time in the Pyrenees, which start Saturday. But because of his sizable lead over Germany's Jan Ullrich and others, Armstrong in theory need only ensure that none of them get too far ahead.

"Of course we'll try to mark all the riders," Armstrong said after Robbie McEwen of Australia won Friday's mostly flat and fast 13th stage in a mass sprint. "But we have to also be safe and conservative."

Leaving the race largely unchanged overall, McEwen, Armstrong and 99 other riders all finished with same time of 3 hours, 43 minutes, 14 seconds on the 107.8-mile trek from Miramas to Montpellier in southern France.

Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner and a five-time runner-up, is 4:02 behind overall. Italy's Ivan Basso, third last year, trails by 2:40. Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan, third in a 2003 and a pre-race favorite, is 4:47 behind.

McEwen is a sprinter who is not challenging Armstrong for the overall title. The stage win was his third of this year's Tour, and he thanked his Davitamon-Lotto team for reeling in a group of riders that raced off ahead, setting him up for his dash to the line.

"It's not a victory for McEwen, it's a victory for Davitamon-Lotto," McEwen said. "Unbelievable."

Ullrich placed 25th, Vinokourov was 27th, Armstrong was 33rd, Basso was 72nd.

It is a measure of Armstrong's dominance again this year that he has managed to take much of the suspense out of the Tour so far from the finish in Paris on July 24.

Closest to him overall is Michael Rasmussen, just 38 seconds back. But although the Dane proved in the Alps that he can fly up climbs, he is not in Armstrong's league in time trials.

There's a final time trial on the penultimate day, and Armstrong should be able to brush off Rasmussen then if he hasn't done so in the Pyrenees. In the first time trial that opened the Tour on July 2, Rasmussen placed 174th out of the 189 riders, 3:12 slower than Armstrong, who excels in the individual race against the clock.

"Regardless what happens [on Saturday] or the next day we still have the advantage of knowing there's a long time trial at the end," Armstrong said.

Saturday's stage, the first of three in the Pyrenees, has five progressively harder climbs before finishing with a steep ascent to Ax-3 Domaines.

Armstrong, looking gaunt and exhausted, placed fourth the last time the race visited the ski station in 2003 -- the shakiest of his record six Tour wins. Ullrich powered past Armstrong on the climb, cutting the American's overall lead to just 15 seconds. Spain's Carlos Sastre won the stage that day.


Armstrong suffered from dehydration in 2003 -- a problem he is taking care to avoid again this year. Hot weather is forecast to continue Saturday."I'm more aware that of this idea that dehydration starts days out. You can't get on your bike in the morning and say, 'OK, I'm going to drink a bunch of water,'" Armstrong said, taking sips from a bottle during a news conference. "I knew the Pyrenees were forecast to be extremely hot, so I tried to get ahead of it two or three days ago.

"Everybody's performance suffers in the heat," Armstrong added. "But some riders, of course, handle it better than others."

The Ax-3 Domaines ascent rates 1 on the rising scale of climbing difficulty that starts at 4.

Before that final ascent comes the 9.4-mile climb over the Port de Pailheres. It peaks at 6,565 feet and is so hard that it is classified as "hors categorie" -- or unrated.

Together, those ascents form a "one-two punch," Armstrong said.

"Pailheres is a very tough climb," he added. "Very long, very steep and incredibly narrow at the top."

Saturday's 137-mile trek from Agde on the Mediterranean coast is followed Sunday by what Armstrong called "the hardest day of the Tour."

The relentless 127.7-mile route from Lezat-sur-Leze has a succession of five climbs -- one rated 2, the others 1 -- before an "hors categorie" uphill finish to Saint-Lary Soulan. It could prove to be the decisive stage this year.

Monday is a rest day before the last high mountain stage. Then come three less-demanding portions before the time trial in Saint-Etienne, in central France.

If the Tour is close, that last clock-race will be nail-biting. Armstrong is trying to ensure it won't be. He will retire in Paris the next day and wants to finish with a seventh win. That means 100 percent concentration for now, leaving little space for philosophizing about the end of his storied career.

"I'm here living in the moment, living in the moment that requires the attitude to win," Armstrong said.

 

[MapleLeaf]

...catastrophe the Tour is his.

It's amazing how dominant he has been.

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 19, 2005, 3:02 PM ET
Armstrong maintains overall lead


Associated Press



PAU, France -- Lance Armstrong protected his comfortable lead on the Tour de France's last day in the high mountains, finishing Tuesday in a pack with his main rivals behind stage winner Oscar Pereiro.

Now, the only things standing between Armstrong and a seventh consecutive Tour title are a time trial, two medium mountain stages and two mostly flat stages, including the last ride into Paris on Sunday.

Pereiro beat a fellow Spaniard, Xabier Zandio, and two other riders in a finishing sprint to win Tuesday's stage. Armstrong trailed in a group with his main rivals, keeping his overall lead over second-place Ivan Basso at 2 minutes, 46 seconds.

Armstrong's main rivals, sensing that their chances of catching the American are slipping away, tried testing him again on two main climbs in stage 16 from Mourenx to Pau, the last of three days in the Pyrenees that straddle France and Spain.

But Armstrong comfortably matched their uphill accelerations -- and cruised to the finish looking relaxed. He finished in a group with Basso, Jan Ullrich and other top riders, all 3:24 behind Pereiro.

Armstrong called it a "no chain" day -- meaning he felt so strong it seemed as if his bicycle had no chain.

"I felt amazing on the bike," Armstrong said. "It's always nice to get through the mountains, especially the second set of mountains. … The big difficulties are done."

The Spaniard's victory, his first at the Tour, made up for his disappointment Sunday in the 15th stage, when he placed second, beaten in a finishing sprint by Armstrong's Discovery Channel teammate, George Hincapie.

Pereiro completed the 112.2-mile trek Tuesday in 4:38.40, this time coming out on top in a final sprint against three other riders.

Basso is looking to improve on his third-place finish last year. Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark is third, 3:09 behind Armstrong, and 1997 winner Ullrich is fourth overall, trailing Armstrong by 5:58.

Already, some rivals are pinning their hopes on next year -- when Armstrong will be retired.

"When Lance Armstrong, the sheriff, is no longer here, then we can think about doing something more," said Francisco Mancebo, a Spaniard who is fifth overall.

The stage Tuesday was marked by another crowd-related incident when a roadside spectator hit rider Andrey Kashechkin in the face, bloodying his nose. The angry Kazakh said after completing the stage that race organizers should improve security.

He was struck, apparently accidentally, by a spectator who was cheering the riders on an ascent.

Kashechkin pulled up and then headed a short way back down the climb to meet a race doctor following behind in a car. The doctor treated him for a nose bleed.

During the 15th stage Sunday, a spectator running alongside riders up another climb went under the wheels of a motorcycle carrying a TV cameraman taping the race.

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 20, 2005, 2:44 PM ET
Teammate's victory 'surreal' for leader Armstrong


Associated Press



REVEL, France -- Lance Armstrong claimed his 79th yellow jersey Wednesday at the Tour de France in a stage won by Discovery Channel teammate Paolo Savoldelli.

Armstrong tied French great Bernard Hinault. Only Eddy Merckx, with 111, has won more yellow jerseys. Merckx, Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Jacques Anquetil all won five Tours -- a record Armstrong surpassed last year.

Savoldelli's victory in the 17th stage, the longest this year, was the third for Armstrong's Discovery Channel team at this year's race. George Hincapie won a stage in the Pyrenees and the squad won the team time trial.

Hincapie and Savoldelli are the first of Armstrong's teammates to win a stage in the Tour since the Texan's run of victories began in 1999. Armstrong finished in a small group 22 minutes and 28 seconds behind Savoldelli and his overall lead remained unchanged.

Armstrong got the news about Savoldelli's win from his team director over his race radio.

"It was surreal," Armstrong said. "We all looked at each other and said: 'Did he just say that Paolo won the stage?' It keeps getting better."

Savoldelli also won his second Giro d'Italia title earlier this year, overcoming injuries and health problems that almost ended his career.

"It's been a very lucky year for me," he said.

Savoldelli was part of a breakaway group that built up a lead of more than 24 minutes over Armstrong's following pack. Because the riders ahead were no threat to his overall lead, Armstrong did not give chase.

Instead, the main pack of riders took it easy for much of the 148.8-mile trek across southern France from Pau to Revel. Their average speed over the second and third hours of the stage was less than 25 miles an hour -- slower than usual.

Only toward the end did Armstrong and other top riders up the pace.

Savoldelli's time was 5 hours, 41 minutes and 19 seconds, riding at average of 26.1 miles per hour.

Armstrong's overall lead over Ivan Basso of Italy, who also finished in his group, stayed at 2:46. Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark is 3:09 back.

His Discovery squad is also leading the Tour's team standings.

Armstrong and the others in the main pack, including his closest rivals, soaked up the scenery of rolling hills, picturesque villages and freshly harvested fields, chatting and occasionally joking with television crews.

Armstrong even hammed it up for TV viewers -- a clear indication that the pressure on him eased when he emerged from the last day in the high mountains on Tuesday with his comfortable lead intact.

"George, George," he shouted to Hincapie, urging him to speak to the cameras.

"I'm working, I can't speak," Hincapie said as he pedaled.

Toward the end of the stage, there was dramatic jostling for places below Armstrong in the overall standings.

Going into the last of four hills on the route, 1997 Tour winner Jan Ullrich's T-Mobile team began to pedal faster.

Ullrich and teammate Alexandre Vinokourov both accelerated, taking other racers by surprise. Armstrong and seven other riders managed to match the quick pace, but a large bunch of other racers did not and were dropped.


They included Australian Cadel Evans and American Floyd Landis, who both started the stage just ahead of Vinokourov in seventh and eighth place, respectively.

But they finished 20 seconds behind Vinokourov. That was good enough to vault the Kazakh rider ahead of both Evans and Landis and into seventh place.

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 21, 2005, 2:17 PM ET
Armstrong retains yellow jersey, takes drug test


Associated Press








MENDE, France -- Lance Armstrong easily retained his overall lead after a tricky 18th stage of the Tour de France, won Thursday by Spain's Marcos Serrano.

Armstrong finished in a group with Ivan Basso of Italy, Jan Ullrich of Germany and Cadel Evans of Australia. The six-time champion's lead over Basso, his closest challenger, remained unchanged at 2 minutes and 46 seconds.

The only surprise for Armstrong came at the end of the stage, when he was given a drug test.

The four riders broke away from other challengers with a burst of speed during a brutal final ascent in south-central France, though they still finished more than 11 minutes behind Serrano.

Mickael Rasmussen is still third, but he was slower up the last climb and finished behind Armstrong's group. He is now 3:46 behind Armstrong, who is on course to win his seventh straight Tour before his retirement.

Ullrich is still fourth, 5:58 behind Armstrong. But by making time back over Rasmussen, the 1997 Tour winner improved his chances of being able to overtake the Dane in the time trial on Saturday, the penultimate day of the three-week race.

Serrano was one of 10 riders that broke away from the main pack containing Armstrong early in the 117-mile route from Albi.

Because the riders ahead were not a threat to his overall lead, Armstrong and other racers in the main pack were able to relax a little on the trek that took them under the world's tallest bridge, near Millau.

Armstrong again joked with TV cameramen following on motorcycles.

"I'm OK for an old man," said the 33-year-old.

The stage was run under baking sun and had five hill climbs, including the steep final ascent that winds up from Mende to a nearby aerodrome.

Serrano shook off the remaining members of his group on the last ascent, scything through the dense crowds that flooded onto the road and won a stage for the first time in his career.

"It's incredible,'' said Serrano, who finished ninth in the Tour in 2001. "We work, we ride and finally we succeed."

He covered the route in 4 hours, 37 minutes and 36 seconds. Armstrong, Basso, Ullrich and Evans were 11:18 back. Rasmussen was another 37 seconds slower than them. Another hilly route through central France awaits Friday before the time trial on Saturday that should fix the finishing order for the leading riders for good before Sunday's final ride into Paris.

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 22, 2005, 5:20 PM ET
Guerini wins Stage 19; Armstrong retains lead


Associated Press



LE PUY-EN-VELAY, France -- Italy's Giuseppe Guerini won the 19th stage Friday of the Tour de France, with overall leader Lance Armstrong riding safely behind in the main pack.



Lance in overall standings after the 19th stage since '99 2005 1 +2:46 2004 1 +6:38 2003 1 +1:16 2002 1 +0:52 2001 1 +6:44 2000 1 +6:02 1999 1 +7:37 The six-time champion maintained his comfortable advantage of 2 minutes, 46 seconds over Italy's Ivan Basso, and 3:46 on Denmark's Mickael Rasmussen heading into Saturday's final time trial.

That race against the clock should determine the top riders' standings ahead of Sunday's final ride into Paris, where Armstrong is expected to collect his seventh straight Tour title before retiring at the end of the race.

"Big day," Armstrong said. "I'll give it everything I have."

The 34.5-mile time trial in Saint-Etienne offers him a last chance to win an individual stage this year. In each of his previous six Tour victories, he always won at least one stage. But so far at this year, his only stage victory was a collective one in the team time trial with his Discovery Channel squad.

The 33-year-old Texan calculated Friday that he has just "five more hours in my career as a cyclist. I'm not terribly sad about that."

Guerini zoomed away from Sandy Casar of France, Franco Pellizotti of Italy and Spain's Oscar Pereiro with about a half mile to go in the 95.4-mile stage in the Massif central mountains of central France.

Guerini, who rides for the German T-Mobile squad, covered the hilly route Friday from Issoire in 3 hours, 33 minutes and 4 seconds. Armstrong's group, which included Basso, Rasmussen and other leading riders, came in 4:31 later.

The stage victory was the second of Guerini's Tour career. In his first, up the legendary Alpine climb to the Alpe d'Huez ski station in 1999, he recovered and won after smashing into a fan who was trying to get a photograph of him from the middle of the road. Guerini fell to the ground. The spectator picked him up and pushed him on his way.

"This was less dangerous than L'Alpe d'Huez," Guerini said.

 

[Banned_n_austin]

Did you know that Lance is from the great city of Austin Tx.?

 

[Kangaroo]

Did you know that Lance is from the great city of Austin Tx.?

Yes I did I knew who Lance Armstrong was before he broke in on the scene.

In his late teens early 20's I heard all about him since my 1st Reserve unit was in Austin and how good he was etc etc.

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 23, 2005, 5:42 PM ET
Armstrong wins his first stage, builds lead to 4:40


Associated Press



SAINT-ETIENNE, France -- For one final time, Lance Armstrong fastened his feet on the pedals and faced the road ahead. He wasn't thinking about championships or his place in history, he said later, but about his three young children waiting at the finish.



Lance in overall standings after the 20th stage since '99 2005 1 +4:40 2004 1 +6:19 2003 1 +1:01 2002 1 +7:17 2001 1 +6:44 2000 1 +6:02 1999 1 +7:37 This was the last time trial in his stellar career. He wanted them to remember it. He sprinted away, legs whirring, the Tour de France's yellow jersey on his back -- and a fresh one waiting at the finish.

There, 34.5 miles later, tears welled in Armstrong's steel blue eyes as he looked down from the winner's podium at 5-year-old Luke and twins Grace and Isabelle, age 3, and slipped into yellow again.

Once more, he had extended his overall race lead. Now all that remains is for him to ride gently into Paris on Sunday, pick up his seventh consecutive -- and last -- Tour title and retire. Thank you. Goodbye.

"To have three precious little people there hopefully remembering one last yellow jersey was a very strong incentive for me," Armstrong said. "I wanted to ride in today and ride into Paris in yellow for them, for the last image of their father as a sportsman to be that of a champion."

Armstrong beat Jan Ullrich, his long-suffering but most feared rival, by 23 seconds in the clock-race, crowning another dominant Tour by giving himself the individual stage win he had lacked this year until now.

Riding with an aerodynamic bike, helmet and suit to reduce wind drag and save seconds, Armstrong made easy work of the winding, hilly and crowd-lined route that looped north of Saint-Etienne in central France.

As race leader, Armstrong set out last of the 155 riders left after three weeks of racing across France and its mountains. On July 2, 189 riders had taken the start.

At the first time-check, Armstrong trailed Ivan Basso of Italy. But he led by the second and stayed ahead from that point.

Armstrong's time was 1 hour, 11 minutes and 46 seconds, for an average speed of 28.8 miles per hour. The stage win was the 22nd of Armstrong's career. Eleven of those were time trials. Armstrong also won three team trials with his support riders -- including this year's.

"It's nice to finish your career on a high note," he said. "As a sportsman, I wanted to go out on top."

He even overtook Denmark's Mickael Rasmussen, who had started out six minutes before him but had a disastrous ride on the tricky and technical route's sharp bends, fast downhills and tiring uphills.

"Quite honestly, I wasn't absolutely sure I could do it," Armstrong said. "I thought Jan would be strong, and then when I got to the first check I saw that Ivan was seven seconds up and I thought, 'Oh boy, this could be an interesting day.'

"I ended up turning things around and winning," he said. "So, pleasant surprise."

On Sunday, barring a freak crash on what is traditionally a victory ride into Paris with a sprint finish at the end, Armstrong will collect his 83rd and last yellow jersey. Only Belgian Eddy Merckx -- with 111 -- won more.

Armstrong said he was retiring with "no regrets." Winning the Tour has brought him huge fame and fortune.

"There's no reason to continue. I don't need more," he said. "My time is up, I don't crave attention."

After Paris, Armstrong plans a holiday in the south of France with family, friends and rock star girlfriend Sheryl Crow.

"Lay on the beach and drink wine, and not ride a bike, and eat a lot of food," he said. "It will be hopefully a week's preview of what my life might be like for the next 50 years -- no stress."

Armstrong hammered his rivals from the opening day of this Tour, finishing second in the first time trial well ahead of Ullrich and other top challengers. He built on his lead in the first day in the Alps and comfortably controlled the race from that point -- silencing doubters who questioned whether he still had the will and the legs to win.

"You know how many attacks it takes to win the Tour de France? One. One attack and two good time trials. Tour finished," Armstrong said on Saturday. "So we stuck with that ... it worked."

While he's retiring, Armstrong said he might occasionally take part in cyclo-cross, mountain bike and triathlons race to satisfy his competitive streak.

"It's not as if I'm going to sit around and be a fat slob," he said.

Ullrich's ride moved him up from fourth to third in the overall standings, displacing Rasmussen, who crashed twice and had repeated mechanical problems, changing bikes several times.

"I gave everything I had but it was not enough against Lance," said Ullrich, the 1997 Tour champion whose hopes of winning another have repeatedly been dashed by Armstrong.

"But I'm happy to be on the podium and to finish this Tour in good health despite the two crashes I had," he said.

Basso placed fifth in the time trial, 1:54 behind Armstrong but good enough to keep second place on the podium in Paris -- improving on last year's third place.


Armstrong tipped Basso as his possible successor, saying: "Ivan proved that he is a great climber and perhaps the future of this race."

But he also said Ullrich could win again if he prepares better. Armstrong called him "the scariest rider in the group."

Overall, Armstrong's lead on Basso grew to 4:40. Ullrich is 6:21 behind.

Armstrong says he wants to stay out of the public eye for the next few years.

"I need a period of quiet and peace and privacy," he said.

But he knows where he'll be next July.

"I will be parked in front of the TV watching the Tour," he said. "The 2006 Tour de France is going to be very interesting ... It will be a very different race."

 

[Hostile]

Updated: July 24, 2005, 7:32 PM ET
Armstrong's last ride ends with victory


Associated Press



PARIS -- One last time, "The Star-Spangled Banner" rang out over the Champs-Elysees in honor of Lance Armstrong.

One last time, on the podium against the backdrop of the Arc de Triomphe, the cancer survivor who became the greatest cyclist in Tour de France history slipped into the leader's yellow jersey Sunday. This time, it was the winner's jersey, for an unprecedented seventh consecutive year in the world's most grueling race.



[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]“[/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]This is a hell of a race. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets -- this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it.[/font][font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] ”[/font]
[font=Times,serif]— [/font][font=Times,serif]Lance Armstrong[/font] He held his yellow cap over his heart as the American anthem played, and his twin 3-year-old daughters, Grace and Isabelle, wore matching yellow dresses.

"Vive le Tour! Forever," Armstrong said.

Vive Lance, the once but not future champion.

It was the end of Armstrong's amazing career, and in retiring a winner he achieved a rare feat in sports -- going out on top. He said his decision was final and that he walks away with no regrets.

"I'm finished," Armstrong told a motorcycle-borne TV reporter as he rode a victory lap of the Champs-Elysees, waving to the crowds and accompanied by another rider waving the Stars and Stripes.

On Monday, he'll be on a beach in the south of France, "with a beer, having a blast," he said.

Before that, though, he couldn't resist a parting shot at "the people who don't believe in cycling, the cynics and the skeptics" who suspect that doping is rife and fueled his dominance of the past seven years.

Robert Laberge/Getty Images
Lance Armstrong shares the spoils of victory with his children Luke, 5, and twins Isabella and Grace, 3.


"I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. But this is a hell of a race," he said. "You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets -- this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it."

Race organizers afforded the 33-year-old Texan the unprecedented honor of speaking from the podium. And that came after an unusual ending to the overall race.

With the pavement slick from rain, and Armstrong comfortably ahead, he was declared the winner with 30 miles to go. The rare decision was made rather than risk having a mad dash to the finish in treacherous conditions.

Riders were still racing at the time, with eight laps of the Champs-Elysees to complete, and the stage competition continued.

Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan eventually won the final stage, with Armstrong finishing safely in the pack to win the Tour by more than 4 minutes, 40 seconds over Ivan Basso of Italy. The 1997 Tour winner, Jan Ullrich, was third, 6:21 back.

"What he did was sensational," Ullrich said.

Looking toward a Tour without him, Armstrong said to his challengers, "It's up to you guys."

One hand on his handlebars, the other holding a flute of champagne, Armstrong toasted his teammates as he pedaled into Paris to collect his crown. At different points, he held up seven fingers -- one for each win -- and a piece of paper with the number 7 on it.


Looking gaunt, his cheeks hollow after riding 2,232.7 miles across France and its mountains for three weeks, Armstrong still could smile at the end.

President Bush called to congratulate his fellow Texan for "a great triumph of the human spirit," saying the victory was "a testament not only to your athletic talent, but to your courage."

Armstrong's 5-year-old son, Luke, delivered a different message.

"Daddy, can we go home and play?" the boy whispered to him as he stepped off the podium.

Armstrong choked up on the podium and rock star girlfriend Sheryl Crow, wearing a yellow halter top, cried during the ceremony.

"This is the way he wanted to finish his career, so it's very emotional," she said.



Lance's margin of victory 2005 4:40 2004 6:19 2003 1:01 2002 7:17 2001 6:44 2000 6:02 1999 7:37 Armstrong set the record last year with his sixth win -- one more than Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Belgian Eddy Merckx and Spaniard Miguel Indurain -- and No. 7 confirmed him as one of the greatest cyclists ever.

Armstrong mentioned Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi as personal inspirations.

"Those are guys that you look up to you, guys that have been at the top of their game for a long time," he said.

As for his accomplishments, he said, "I can't be in charge of dictating what it says or how you remember it.

"In five, 10, 15, 20 years, we'll see what the legacy is. But I think we did come along and revolutionize the cycling part, the training part, the equipment part. We're fanatics."

Armstrong's last ride as a professional -- the closing 89.8-mile 21st stage into Paris from Corbeil-Essonnes south of the capital -- was not without incident.



[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Armstrong's departure begins a new era for the 102-year-old Tour, with no clear successor.[/font] Three of his teammates slipped and crashed on the road coming around a bend just before they crossed the River Seine. Armstrong, right behind them, braked and skidded into the fallen riders, using his right foot to steady himself and stay on the bike.

His teammates, wearing special shirts with a band of yellow on right shoulder, recovered and led him up the Champs-Elysees at the front of the pack.

Vinokourov surged ahead of the main pack to win the last stage. He had been touted as one of Armstrong's main rivals at the start of the Tour on July 2, but like others was overwhelmed by him.

Armstrong donned his 83rd and last yellow jersey in Paris. Only Merckx -- with 111 -- won more.

Armstrong's departure begins a new era for the 102-year-old Tour, with no clear successor. His riding and his inspiring comeback from testicular cancer attracted new fans -- especially in the United States -- to the race, as much a part of French summers as sun cream, forest fires and traffic jams down to the Cote d'Azur.

Millions turned out each year, cheering, picnicking and sipping wine by the side of the road, to watch Armstrong flash past in the yellow jersey, the famed "maillot jaune."


Cancer survivors, autograph hunters and admirers pushed, shoved and yelled "Lance! Lance!" outside his bus in the mornings for a smile, a signature or a just word from the champion.

He had bodyguards to keep the crowds at bay -- ruffling feathers of cycling purists who sniffed at his "American" ways.

Some spectators would shout obscenities or "Dope!" To some, his comeback from cancer and his uphill bursts of speed that left rivals gasping in the Alps and Pyrenees were too good to be true.

Armstrong insisted that he simply trained, worked and prepared harder than anyone. He was drug-tested hundreds of times, in and out of competition, but was never found to have committed any infractions.

Armstrong came into this Tour saying he had a dual objective -- winning the race and the hearts of French fans. He was more relaxed, forthcoming and talkative than last year, when the pressure was on to be the first six-time winner.

Some fans hung the Stars and Stripes on barriers that lined the Champs-Elysees on Sunday. Around France, some also urged Armstrong to go for an eighth win next year-- holding up placards and daubing their appeals in paint on the road.

Armstrong, however, wanted to go out on top -- and not let advancing age get the better of him.

"At some point you turn 34, or you turn 35, the others make a big step up, and when your age catches up, you take a big step down," he said Saturday after he won the final time trial, his only stage victory this year. "So next could be the year if I continued that I lose that five minutes. We are never going to know."