Lance in France 2005

What they're saying about Lance

2005-07-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times: Quotable: What they're saying about Lance:

Quotable: What they're saying about Lance

'I always said the greatest time to retire for a professional athlete is when the public says, 'He could have went another year.' '
Wayne Gretzky
'... A great triumph of the human spirit, a testament not only to your athletic talent but to your courage.'
President Bush
'He is strong in the leg and the head, in the arm and the heart. He is strong inside and outside. He is so strong that there are no points or moments of weakness. He is a force of nature and of science.'
Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport
'Lance is the greatest American rider and the greatest Tour de France rider ever. Lance, he's past being a cycling person � he's moved to that superstar, rock-star status, which I think benefits the sport.'
Frankie Andreu
'He's dominated for seven years. He's a professional down to his fingertips. He's the champion of his generation, the last 10 years.'
Bernard Hinault
'With his physical and mental strength, his enthusiasm and will-power, nobody � me included � was able to hold a candle to him these past seven years.'
Jan Ullrich
'Lance brought a new level of professionalism, a different level of professionalism to the sport. ... In the way he trained, the way he paid attention to details, that would be what I would think of as Lance Armstrong's legacy to the sport of cycling.'
Bjarne Riis

Tour De France 2005 : Overall Results

2005-07-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Overall classification:

1. Lance Armstrong (US/Discovery) 82h 34min 05sec
2. Ivan Basso (Ita/CSC) at 4:40
3. Jan Ullrich (Ger/T-Mobile) at 6:21
4. Francisco Mancebo (Spa/Balears) at 9:59
5. Levi Leipheimer (US/Gerolsteiner) at 11:25
6. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz/T-Mobile) at 11:27
7. Mickael Rasmussen (Den/Rabobank) at 11:33
8. Cadel Evans (Aus/Lotto) at 11:55
9. Floyd Landis (US/Phonak) at 12:44
10. Oscar Pereiro (Spa/Phonak) at 16:04

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Lance Armstrong Wallpaper

2005-07-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Get yourself a Lance Armstrong Wallpaper ...

Lance Armstrong Wallpaper:

Lance Armstrong Wallpaper

Tour De France 2005 : Magnificent Seventh

2005-07-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Armstrong wins 7th Tour de France - Sunday July 24, 2005 11:09AM:

Magnificent Seventh
Armstrong rides into retirement with one final victory
PARIS (AP) -- Lance Armstrong closed out his amazing career with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory Sunday -- and did it a little earlier than expected.
Because of wet conditions, race organizers stopped the clock as Armstrong and the main pack entered Paris. Although riders were still racing, with eight laps of the Champs-Elysees to complete, organizers said that Armstrong had officially won.
The stage started as it has done for the past six years -- with Armstrong celebrating and wearing the race leader's yellow jersey.
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. He held up seven fingers -- one for each win -- and a piece of paper with the number 7 on it.
His sixth win last year already set a record, putting Armstrong ahead of four other riders -- Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Belgian Eddy Merckx and Spaniard Miguel Indurain -- who all won five Tours.
Armstrong's new record of seven wins confirmed him as one of the greatest cyclists ever, and capped a career where he cam

Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong Ends Career With Seventh Tour Win

2005-07-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Armstrong Ends Career With Seventh Tour Win - New York Times:

Armstrong Ends Career With Seventh Tour Win
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 11:03 a.m. ET
PARIS (AP) -- Lance Armstrong closed out his amazing career with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory Sunday -- and did it a little earlier than expected.
Because of wet conditions, race organizers stopped the clock as Armstrong and the main pack entered Paris. Although riders were still racing, with eight laps of the Champs-Elysees to complete, organizers said that Armstrong had officially won.
The stage started as it has done for the past six years -- with Armstrong celebrating and wearing the race leader's yellow jersey.
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. He held up seven fingers -- one for each win -- and a piece of paper with the number 7 on it.
But 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 in the rain.
Three of his teammates slipped and crashed coming around a bend just before they crossed the River Seine. Armstrong, right behind them, braked and skidded into the fallen riders.
Armstrong used his right foot to steady himself, and was able to 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.
Organizers then announced that they had stopped the clock because of the slippery conditions.

Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong wraps up seventh Tour title

2005-07-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

MSNBC - Armstrong wraps up seventh Tour title:

Armstrong wraps up seventh Tour title
Lance ends career in style with ceremonial ride
BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
Updated: 11:24 a.m. ET July 24, 2005
PARIS - Lance Armstrong closed out his amazing career with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory Sunday � and did it a little earlier than expected.
Because of wet conditions, race organizers stopped the clock as Armstrong and the main pack entered Paris. Although riders were still racing, with eight laps of the Champs-Elysees to complete, organizers said that Armstrong had officially won.
The stage started as it has done for the past six years � with Armstrong celebrating and wearing the race leader�s yellow jersey.

Tour De France 2005 : Overall Standings after Stage 20

2005-07-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Overall classification:

1. Lance Armstrong (US/Discovery) 82h 34min 05sec
2. Ivan Basso (Ita/CSC) at 4:40
3. Jan Ullrich (Ger/T-Mobile) at 6:21
4. Francisco Mancebo (Spa/Balears) at 9:59
5. Levi Leipheimer (US/Gerolsteiner) at 11:25
6. Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz/T-Mobile) at 11:27
7. Michael Rasmussen (Den/Rabobank) at 11:33
8. Cadel Evans (Aus/Lotto) at 11:55
9. Floyd Landis (US/Phonak) at 12:44
10. Oscar Pereiro (Spa/Phonak) at 16:04

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage 20 Results

2005-07-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Stage 20 result:

1. Lance Armstrong (US/Discovery) one hour 11 minutes and 46 seconds
2. Jan Ullrich (Ger/T-Mobile) at 23 secs
3. Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz/T-Mobile) at 1:16
4. Bobby Julich (US/CSC) at 1:33
5. Ivan Basso (Ita/CSC) at 1:54
6. Floyd Landis (US/Phonak) at 2:02
7. Cadel Evans (Aus/Lotto) at 2:06
8. George Hincapie (US/Discovery) at 2:25
9. Francisco Mancebo (Spa/Balears) at 2:51
10. Vladimir Karpets (Rus/Balears) at 3:05

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Tour De France 2005 : Sizzling Armstrong gets stage win

2005-07-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Sizzling Armstrong gets stage win:

Sizzling Armstrong gets stage win

Lance Armstrong put the seal on what will be his seventh-straight Tour de France title by winning his first 2005 stage - the individual time trial.
The American clocked one hour, 11 minutes and 46 seconds to smash rival Jan Ullrich's time in Saint Etienne.
Accidents permitting, he will be crowned champion on the Champs-Elysees after the formality of Sunday's stage.
Ullrich made the move of stage 20 by eroding Michael Rasmussen's two-minute advantage to take third spot overall.

Tour De France 2005 : Overall Standing After Stage 19

2005-07-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

Overall standings (Top 10)

1. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel at 81:22:19
2. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC at 2:46
3. Mickael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank at 3:46
4. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile at 5:58
5. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears at 7:08
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner at 8:12
7. Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto at 9:49
8. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile at 10:11
9. Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak at 10:42
10. Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Phonak at 12:39

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage 18 Results

2005-07-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

Stage result (Top 10)

1. Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) T-Mobile 3:33:04
2. Sandy Casar (Fra) Francaise des Jeux at 10 seconds
3. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas at same time
4. Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Phonak at 12 seconds
5. Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Lampre - Caffita at 2:43
6. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC at 2:48
7. Nicolas Portal (Fra) AG2R at same time
8. Bert Grabsch (Ger) Phonak at same time
9. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis at same time
10. Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank at 3:50

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Tour De France 2005 : Guerini takes victory on stage 19

2005-07-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Guerini takes victory on stage 19:

Guerini takes victory on stage 19

Italian Giuseppe Guerini clinched a surprise victory in the 19th stage of the Tour de France.
The T-Mobile rider produced a devastating attack with just over a kilometre remaining and the three alongside him were unable to respond.
Frenchman Sandy Casar finished second in the shortest road stage of the Tour, ahead of Franco Pellizotti of Italy.
Oscar Pereiro came fourth to force his way into the overall top 10, with Lance Armstrong finishing safely in the pack.
The American, heading for his seventh Tour de France victory on Sunday, has a lead of two minutes 46 seconds over Italian Ivan Basso.
He will look to tighten his stranglehold on Saturday in what will be his last ever time trial before his retirement.
'I probably have five more hours in my career as a cyclist. I'm not terribly sad about that,' said the 33-year-old.

Tour De France 2005 : Overall Standings after Stage 18

2005-07-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

Overall standings (Top 10)

1. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel at 77:44:44
2. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC at 2:46
3. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank at 3:46
4. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile at 5:58
5. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears at 7:08
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner at 8:12
7. Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto at 9:49
8. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile at 10:11
9. Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak at 10:42
10. Christophe Moreau (Fra) at Credit Agricole at 13:15

Tour De France 2005 : Stage 18 Results

2005-07-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

Stage result (Top 10)

1. Marcos Serrano (Spa) Liberty Seguros at 4:37:36
2. Cedric Vasseur (Fra) Cofidis at 27 seconds
3. Axel Merckx (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto at same time
4. Xavier Zandio (Spa) Illes Balears at 1:08
5. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas at same time
6. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom at 1:28
7. Luke Roberts (Aus) Team CSC at same time
8. Matthias Kessler (Ger) T-Mobile at 1:44
9. Egoi Martinez (Spa) Euskaltel at 2:03
10. Carlos Da Cruz (Fra) Francaise des Jeux at 2:38

Tour De France 2005 : Serrano climbs to stage success

2005-07-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Serrano climbs to stage success:

Serrano climbs to stage success
Marcos Serrano took the honours in the 18th stage of the Tour de France.

The Spaniard came out on top of a gruelling three-way battle with Cedric Vasseur and Axel Merckx on a short, sharp climb late in the 189km stage.

The Liberty-Seguros rider had the legs to drop the pair on the Cote de la Croix-Neuve before powering down the kilometre descent to the finish.

Race leader Lance Armstrong finished the route from Albi to Mende 11 minutes and 18 seconds down with Ivan Basso.

The pair showed their strength on the final climb which split the peloton - and the leading challengers on the overall classification.

The only riders who could stay with the American and the second-placed Italian were Jan Ullrich and Cadel Evans - and for good reason.

We knew it was a difficult finish. You still have a lot of tactics within the race and you have to pay attention
Lance Armstrong

Ullrich was desperate to take time out of third-placed Mickael Rasmussen to help his efforts of getting on Sunday's podium in Paris, while Evans wanted to leapfrong Alexandre Vinokourov into seventh.

Tour De France 2005 : Rivals resigned to defeat as Armstrong marches on

2005-07-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Rivals resigned to defeat as Armstrong marches on - Tuesday July 19, 2005 10:21AM:

Lance's rivals resigned to defeat
Posted: Tuesday July 19, 2005 10:21AM; Updated: Tuesday July 19, 2005 10:21AM
PAU, France (AP) -- Ivan Basso is just 2 minutes, 46 seconds behind Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France. As far as the Italian rider is concerned, the race is over.
'It's not possible to beat him,' the second-place Basso said Monday as riders rested in Pau. 'I have done all I can.'
Armstrong holds a significant advantage over his closest challengers, who are running out of time with the race ending Sunday.
With a time trial on the penultimate day -- Armstrong's specialty -- Basso needs to make huge time gains in the four stages before that for an improbable comeback. Basso's Team CSC director, Bjarne Riis, also seemed resigned to finishing no higher than second.
'He has class, strength and talent,' Riis said of Armstrong. 'It's not easy to beat someone like that.'

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Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong enjoys scenery as teammate wins Stage 17

2005-07-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Savoldelli captures second stage win for Discovery team - Wednesday July 20, 2005 11:43AM:

Spreading the wealth
Armstrong enjoys scenery as teammate wins Stage 17
Posted: Wednesday July 20, 2005 11:43AM; Updated: Wednesday July 20, 2005 11:43AM
REVEL, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong's teammate Paolo Savoldelli won the longest stage of the Tour de France, finishing far ahead of the six-time champion and other top riders who took it easy over the 148.8-mile trek Wednesday across southern France.
But awaiting Armstrong at the finish was the 79th race leader's yellow jersey of his storied career. That matched the number won by French great Bernard Hinault, though it was still behind Eddy Merckx's record of 111. Hinault, Merckx, Miguel Indurain and Jacques Anquetil won the Tour five times -- a record Armstrong beat last year.
Savoldelli was part of a breakway 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, Armstrong and the others in his pack, which included all of his closest rivals, soaked up the scenery of rolling hills, picturesque villages and freshly harvested fields, chatting among themselves and occasionally joking with the television crews on motorcycles covering the race's stage 17.
Savoldelli's victory was the second individual stage win for Armstrong's Discovery Channel team. George Hincapie won another stage in the Pyrenees, and was the first of Armstrong's support riders to win a stage since the Texan began his run of Tour de France vic

Tour De France 2005 : Overall Standings after Stage 17

2005-07-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

Overall standings (Top 10)

1. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel at 72:55:50
2. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC at 2:46
3. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank at 3:09
4. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile at 5:58
5. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears at 6:31
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner at 7:35
7. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile at 9:38
8. Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto at 9:49
9. Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak at 9:53
10. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole at 12:07

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage 17 Results

2005-07-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Stage result (Top 10)

1. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel at 5:41:19
2. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC at same time
3. Simon Gerrans (Aus) AG2R at eight seconds
4. Sebastien Hinault (Fra) Credit Agricole at 11 seconds
5. Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Domina Vacanze at 24 seconds
6. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) T-Mobile at 51 seconds
7. Bram Tankink (Ned) Quick-Step at same time
8. Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre-Caffita at 53 seconds
9. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) AG2R at 3:14
10. Allan Davis (Aus) Liberty Seguros at same time

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Tour De France 2005 : Savoldelli takes stage in style

2005-07-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Savoldelli takes stage in style:

Savoldelli takes stage in style

Paolo Savoldelli has won the 17th stage of the Tour de France from Pau to Revel - the longest day of the 2005 race.
The Italian had been in a group of 17 who escaped early in the day, before that split further with 50km to go.
It broke up again close to the finish and Norwegian Kurt-Asle Arvesen hit the front on the home straight before being overhauled by Savoldelli on the line.
Race leader Lance Armstrong came home more than 22 minutes down alongside all his major rivals in a small group.
They stole a lead over the rest of the peloton late in the 239.5km stage on the Cote de St-Ferreol - the same category three climb that saw Savoldelli stamp his authority on the leading group.
A crash on the lower slopes of the climb disrupted the peloton and a host of riders looked to take advantage of the confusion.
Jan Ullrich's best efforts floundered on the fact Mickael Rasmussen was on his shoulder, but the German's team-mate Alexandre Vinokourov propsered.
The Kazakhstan rider benefitted when Floyd Landis and Cadel Evans were caught cold in the secondary group and came home with enough of an advantage to leap above the pair into seventh in general classification.
Savoldelli, one of Armstrong's Discovery Channel team-mates, also climbed the rankings, albeit far lower down from 33rd to 24th.

Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong cruises out of Pyrenees well in front

2005-07-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Armstrong cruises out of Pyrenees well in front - Tuesday July 19, 2005 11:22AM:

Cruise control
Armstrong leaves Pyrenees maintaining sizable lead
Posted: Tuesday July 19, 2005 11:22AM; Updated: Tuesday July 19, 2005 11:29AM
PAU, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong completed the last of three days in the Pyrenees with a comfortable overall lead in the Tour de France, finishing Tuesday's 16th stage in a group behind stage winner Oscar Pereiro.
Pereiro beat a fellow Spaniard, Xabier Zandio, and two other riders in a finishing sprint. Armstrong trailed in a group with his main rivals, keeping his overall lead over second-place Ivan Basso unchanged at 2 minutes, 46 seconds.

Tour De France 2005 : Overall standing after Stage 16

2005-07-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Overall standings (Top 10)
1. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel at 66:52:03
2. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC at 2:46
3. Mickael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank at 3:09
4. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile at 5:58
5. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears at 6:31
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner at 7:35
7. Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon - Lotto at 9:29
8. Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak at 9:33
9. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile at 9:38
10. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole at 11:47

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage 16 Results

2005-07-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Stage result (Top 10)

1. Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Phonak at 4:38:40
2. Xavier Zandio (Spa) Illes Balears at same time
3. Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Lampre-Caffita
4. Cadel Evans (Aus) (Davitamon-Lotto
5. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Francaise des Jeux at 2:25
6. Anthony Geslin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
7. Joerg Ludewig (Ger) Domina Vacanze
8. Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Fassa Bortolo
9. Ludovic Turpin (Fra) AG2R
10. Cedric Vasseur (Fra) Cofidis

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Tour De France 2005 : Pereiro sprints to victory in Pau

2005-07-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

With the mountain range part over ... Lance is in excellent shape to win it ... barring any accidents.

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Pereiro sprints to victory in Pau:

Pereiro sprints to victory in Pau

Phonak's Oscar Pereiro has won the 16th stage of the Tour de France into Pau.
The Spaniard capped an aggressive day in the saddle with a sprint finish to hold off the challenge of Xabier Zandio, Eddy Mazzoleni and Cadel Evans.
The quartet had been out in front as the race left the mountains behind for the last time before a flat run in.
Lance Armstrong maintained his overall lead coming home in the third group on the road, three minutes and 24 seconds back, alongside all his major rivals.
While Pereiro took the honours on the line, Evans was the big winner on the final day in the mountains, climbing from 11th to seventh overall.
The Australian was in a group of 11 escapees having broken free of the main peloton after just 26km of the 180.5km stage from Mourenx.

Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong Keeps Lead; Teammate Wins Stage

2005-07-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

Armstrong Keeps Lead; Teammate Wins Stage:

Armstrong Keeps Lead; Teammate Wins Stage
By JOHN LEICESTER
SAINT-LARY-SOULAN, France � Lance Armstrong kept his overall lead and teammate George Hincapie won the 15th stage of the Tour de France on Sunday, the hardest day of climbing in the Pyrenees.
The two friends beamed as they hugged each other after Armstrong finished more than five minutes behind his teammate. Armstrong gave a thumbs-up in reaction to the first stage win by one of his teammates since 1999.

'This is a dream for me,' Hincapie said.
Armstrong, who finished seventh, called it a 'perfect day.'

Tour De France 2005 : Lance's builds lead in tough mountain stage

2005-07-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Lance's builds lead in tough mountain stage - Sunday July 17, 2005 11:38AM:

Pyrenees victory
Teammate wins stage as Armstrong's lead grows
SAINT-LARY-SOULAN, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong kept his overall lead and teammate George Hincapie won the 15th stage of the Tour de France on Sunday, the hardest day of climbing in the Pyrenees.
The two friends beamed as they hugged each other after Armstrong finished more than five minutes behind his teammate. Armstrong gave a thumbs-up in reaction to the first stage win by one of his teammates since 1999.
'This is a dream for me,' Hincapie said.
Armstrong called it a 'perfect day.'
'He is my biggest guy, my biggest friend on the team,' the Texan said of Hincapie, the only teammate to be with Armstrong for all six of his Tour victories. They have known each other since they were teenagers.
Armstrong finished with Italian Ivan Basso, who jumped to second in the overall standings, but still trails the American by 2 minutes and 46 seconds. Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark fell back to third overall, now 3:09 behind Armstrong.
Jan Ullrich of Germany struggled on the final climb and now trails Armstrong by 5:58.

Tour De France 2005 : Overall standings after Stage 15

2005-07-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

Overall standings:

1. Lance Armstrong (US / Discovery Channel) 62:09:59"
2. Ivan Basso (Italy / Team CSC) +2:46"
3. Michael Rasmussen (Denmark / Rabobank) +3:09"
4. Jan Ullrich (Germany / T-Mobile) +5:58"
5. Francisco Mancebo (Spain / Illes Balears) +6:31"
6. Levi Leipheimer (US / Gerolsteiner) +7:35"
7. Floyd Landis (United States / Phonak) +9:33"
8. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan / T-Mobile) +9:38"
9. Christophe Moreau (France / Credit Agricole) +11:47"
10. Andreas Kloeden (Germany / T-Mobile) +12:01"

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage 15 results

2005-07-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

Stage 15 result:

1. George Hincapie (US / Discovery Channel) 6:06:38"
2. Oscar Pereiro (Spain / Phonak) +6"
3. Pietro Caucchioli (Italy / Credit Agricole) +38"
4. Michael Boogerd (Netherlands / Rabobank) +57"
5. Laurent Brochard (France / Bouygues Telecom) +2:19"
6. Ivan Basso (Italy / Team CSC) +5:04"
7. Lance Armstrong (US / Discovery Channel)
8. Oscar Sevilla (Spain / T-Mobile) +6:28"
9. Jan Ullrich (Germany / T-Mobile)
10. Michael Rasmussen (Denmark / Rabobank) +6:32"

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Tour De France 2005 : Hincapie gets maiden Tour victory

2005-07-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Hincapie gets maiden Tour victory:

Hincapie gets maiden Tour victory
George Hincapie outsprinted Oscar Pereiro to win his first Tour de France stage as team captain Lance Armstrong tightened his grip on the race lead.
The American, one of Armstrong's top 'domestiques', sat at the back of a 14-man break on a brutal day of climbs.
But when it became clear that Armstrong would not catch him, he was given the all-clear to pursue a stage 15 victory.
Armstrong finished strongly with Ivan Basso, who stole second place overall from battling Dane Mickael Rasmussen.
The biggest crowds of this year's race were baying for a Spanish victory in the Pyrenees.
It seems to me that Discovery are so strong at the moment they can catapult anyone they want into a stage win
From YK
And Pereiro came closest to providing it when he struck for home on the last 'hors category' climb of a day that also included four category one ascents.
The Spaniard shook off all fellow escapees except for the stubborn Hincapie, who sat on his wheel to the top before forging past 200m from the line.
Their memorable duel was matched by fascinating battles further down the Pla-d'Adet.
In-form Italian Basso, who had launched a stinging attack on the previous mountain, set a faster pace than anyone bar Armstrong, who matched him pedal for pedal.
They finished the 220km stage five minutes behind Hincapie and Pereiro.
Hincapie is my biggest guy, my biggest friend on the team
Lance Armstrong
As the pair reeled in fatigued stragglers from the break - which splintered from the peloton after just 27km - they opened up time on all other rivals, including Jan Ullrich, who lost more than a minute.
Behind the German, Rasmussen looked in danger of slipping out of the top three on the general classification.
He lost too much time to Basso, but weathered Ullrich's attack as other

Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong's Tour de France lead grows

2005-07-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Armstrong's Tour de France lead grows - Saturday July 16, 2005 4:47PM:

Lance advances
Armstrong stretches lead with climb into Pyrenees
Posted: Saturday July 16, 2005 11:06AM; Updated: Saturday July 16, 2005 4:49PM

Lance fends off rivals

AX-3 DOMAINES, France (AP) -- As the Pyrenean peak loomed, the assault Lance Armstrong was bracing for finally came. Here, the six-time champion knew, was a Tour de France moment of truth.
'It's scary,' he admitted later.
Emotionless behind their wraparound shades, Armstrong's pink-shirted rivals from the German T-Mobile squad raced into the steep ascent at full pelt. The tactic was simple: Isolate Armstrong by riding so hard that his teammates would be unable to stay with the pace.
It worked. By the time T-Mobile's racers were spent, Armstrong's support crew were strewn down the road and his long-tormented challengers, including T-Mobile leader Jan Ullrich, finally had him were they wanted him -- alone on a climb. Now, it was man-to-man.
'In that situation you either fight back or you run away,' Armstrong said.
He fought, and end result was familiar: Armstrong came out on top of his main challengers in an epic stage 14, taking another step toward a seventh consecutive Tour victory.

Tour De France 2005 : Overall Standings after Stage 14 Results

2005-07-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

Leading overall standings

1 L Armstrong US Discovery 55:58.17
2 M Rasmussen Den Rabobank @ 1.41
3 I Basso It Team CSC @ 2.46
4 J Ullrich Ger T-Mobile @ 4.34
5 L Leipheimer US Gerols'ner @ 4.45
6 F Landis US Phonak @ 5.03
7 F Mancebo Sp I Balears @ 5.03
8 A Kloeden Ger T-Mobile @ 5.38
9 A Vinokourov Kaz T-Mobile @ 7.09
10 C Moreau Fr C Agricole @ 8.37

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage 14 Results

2005-07-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Stage Results

1 Totschnig Georg Gst Aut 5h 43' 43"
2 Armstrong Lance Dsc Usa 00' 56"
3 Basso Ivan Csc Ita 00' 58"
4 Ullrich Jan Tmo Ger 01' 16"
5 Leipheimer Levi Gst Usa 01' 31"
6 Landis Floyd Pho Usa m.t.
7 Mancebo Francisco Iba Esp 01' 47"
8 Rasmussen Mickael Rab Den m.t.
9 Kl�den Andr�as Tmo Ger 02' 06"
10 Zubeldia Haimar Eus Esp 02' 20"

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Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong Holds Off Attackers

2005-07-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

Bicycling: Tour De France 2005 - Armstrong Holds Off Attackers:

Armstrong Holds Off Attackers
Tour champ extends lead as Austrian wins stage
By Joe 'Lindsey, Contributing Writer
July 16, 2005
Isolated and under attack, six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong (Discovery Channel) didn�t panic and didn�t try to respond with a knockout punch of his own. Instead, the American simply played defense until he saw a moment of weakness in his rivals.
On today�s 14th stage, Armstrong rebounded from early attacks and the loss of his teammates to an almost perfect finish, taking second on the stage behind only Georg Totschnig of Gerolsteiner, the lone survivor of a marathon breakaway that went up the road just 10 kilometers into the day�s 220.5-kilometer ride from Agde to the mountaintop finish of Ax-3 Domaines. In so doing, Armstrong gained time on every one of his rivals for the overall Tour title and sent a message: Either alone or with teammates, he appears all but impossible to beat.

Tour De France 2005 : Totschnig claims 14th Tour stage

2005-07-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Totschnig claims 14th Tour stage:

Totschnig claims 14th Tour stage

Georg Totschnig won the 220.5km 14th stage as six-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong extended his overall lead on day one of three in the Pyrenees.
Austrian Totschnig led early, joining a 10-man escape group at 7km before a pursuing pack, including Armstrong, closed the gap in the final 20km.
But the Gerolsteiner rider, 34, had just enough breathing space to triumph.
American Armstrong retained his yellow jersey after finishing 56 seconds back, while Italy's Basso was third.
Another yellow jersey contender, 1997 winner Jan Ullrich, finished around 10 seconds behind Armstrong, who holds a lead of one minute 41 seconds over Dane Michael Rasmussen.
I attacked early in the morning, knowing it was my only chance
Stage winner Georg Totschnig
Ullrich's team-mate Alexandre Vinokourov was one of the biggest losers on the day, finishing nearly three minutes behind.

Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong adds more than minute to lead

2005-07-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

MSNBC - Armstrong adds more than minute to lead:

Armstrong adds more than minute to lead
6-time champion finishes 2nd in stage 14 in Pyrenees mountains
The Associated Press
Updated: 4:31 p.m. ET July 16, 2005
AX-3 DOMAINES, France - As the Pyrenean peak loomed, the assault Lance Armstrong was bracing for finally came. Here, the six-time champion knew, was a Tour de France moment of truth.
�It�s scary,� he admitted later.
Emotionless behind their wraparound shades, Armstrong�s pink-shirted rivals from the German T-Mobile squad raced into the steep ascent at full pelt. The tactic was simple: Isolate Armstrong by riding so hard that his teammates would be unable to stay with the pace.
It worked. By the time T-Mobile�s racers were spent, Armstrong�s support crew were strewn down the road and his long-tormented challengers, including T-Mobile leader Jan Ullrich, finally had him were they wanted him � alone on a climb. Now, it was man-to-man.
�In that situation you either fight back or you run away,� Armstrong said.
He fought, and end result was familiar: Armstrong came out on top of his main challengers in an epic stage 14, taking another step toward a seventh consecutive Tour victory.
Even without his teammates, who usually lead him up mountains, Armstrong fended off Ullrich, Italian Ivan Basso and others, and dealt out punishment of his own by beating them to the ski station of Ax-3 Domaines, extending his overall lead.
Armstrong placed second, 56 seconds behind Georg Totschnig, the first Austrian since 1931 to win a stage. But he is not a challenger in the overall standings.
Basso, who is, stayed with Armstrong up to Ax-3 Domaines but couldn�t follow his finishing sprint, placing third.
Ullrich was fourth, dropped by Armstrong�s acceleration toward the end.
Overall, Armstrong�s lead over Basso grew to 2 minutes, 46 seconds and to 4:34 over Ullrich. Those advantages could carry Armstrong to victory in Paris on July 24 if h

Saving it up : Lance keeps lead, coasts before climb into Pyrenees

2005-07-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

Saving it up : Lance keeps lead, coasts before climb into Pyrenees

MONTPELLIER, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong retained his overall lead in the Tour de France's flat, fast 13th stage across southern France, won by Robbie McEwen in a sprint Friday.

The win was McEwen's third of this Tour. Armstrong and his main rivals finished together before the Tour goes back to the mountains, with the Pyrenees stages starting Saturday.

Armstrong's lead over 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 stayed 2:40 back in fourth. Jan Ullrich of Germany is 4:02 behind, but rose to eighth in the standings after Spain's Alejandro Valverde dropped out of the Tour because of an inflamed left knee. Valverde, winner of the first Alpine stage, had been fifth overall.

'Everybody is waiting' for the Pyrenees, said Armstrong, explaining why he and his rivals didn't do battle over the 107.8-mile trek from Miramas to Montpellier.

McEwen attributed his victory to his Davitamon-Lotto team, which helped reel in a group of riders that were ahead, setting the Australian sprinter up for his dash to the line.

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

Tour De France 2005 : Overall standings after stage 13

2005-07-15T10:32:00.001-07:00

Overall standings (top 10)
1. Lance Armstrong (US) Discovery 50hrs 13mins 50secs
2. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank +38secs
3. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole +2:34
4. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC +2:40
5. Santiago Botero (Col) Phonak +3:48
6. Levi Leipheimer (US) Gerolsteiner +3:58
7. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears +4:00
8. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile +4:02
9. Andreas Kloeden (Ger) T-Mobile +4:16
10. Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak +4:16

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage 13 Results

2005-07-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

Stage results (top 10)
1. R McEwen (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto, 3hrs 43mins 14secs
2. S O'Grady (Aus) Cofidis, same time
3. F Rodriguez (USA) Davitamon-Lotto, same time
4. G Trenti (USA) Quick Step, same time
5. T Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole, same time
6. Anthony Geslin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom, same time
7. Robert Forster (Ger) Gerolsteiner, same time
8. Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Liquigas, same time
9. Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Lampre-Caffita, same time
10. Chris Horner (USA) Saunier Duval, same time

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Tour De France 2005 : McEwen clinches third win of Tour

2005-07-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | McEwen clinches third win of Tour:

McEwen clinches third win of Tour

Robbie McEwen won a bunched sprint finish to take victory in the 13th stage of the Tour de France.
The Australian, who also won stages five and seven, pipped compatriot Stuart O'Grady after the peloton caught the leaders inside the final 500m.
Race leader Lance Armstrong retained his overall lead of 38 seconds over Dane Michael Rasmussen.
But Alejandro Valverde, fifth in the standings, was forced to pull out with tendinitis in his knee.

Tour De France 2005 : French revolution : Moncoutie wins on Bastille Day, Lance loses teammate

2005-07-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Moncoutie wins on Bastille Day, Lance loses teammate - Thursday July 14, 2005 11:07AM:

French revolution
Moncoutie wins on Bastille Day, Lance loses teammate
Posted: Thursday July 14, 2005 11:06AM; Updated: Thursday July 14, 2005 11:40AM
DIGNE-LES-BAINS, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong retained the overall lead but lost a key teammate in a crash as the Tour de France headed out of the Alps following David Moncoutie's victory in Thursday's 12th stage.
Moncoutie became the 15th Frenchman since World War II to win on Bastille Day, France's national holiday. It was his second stage win in five Tours.
'It's fabulous,' Moncoutie said. 'I'm so happy to win. It's July 14th.'
Moncoutie took the lead on the Col du Corobin, the fourth of five ascents on the 116.2-mile trek from Briancon to Digne-les-Bains, and cycled alone to the finish past cheering crowds. He finished the stage in 4 hours, 20 minutes, 6 seconds.
Armstrong cruised in with his main rivals in a group more than 10 minutes back to finish 41st. His lead over second-place Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark stayed at 38 seconds, with French rider Christophe Moreau still third overall, 2:34 behind.
Italian rider Ivan Basso is 2:40 back, fourth overall, with Jan Ullrich 4:02 behind in ninth. They all finished together in a large group, 10:33 behind Moncoutie.

Tour De France 2005 : Overall Standings after Stage 12

2005-07-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Overall standings (top 10)
1. Lance Armstrong (US) Discovery) 46:30:36"
2. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank +38s
3. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole +2:34
4. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC +2:40
5. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Illes Balears +3:16
6. Santiago Botero (Col) Phonak +3:48
7. Levi Leipheimer (US) Gerolsteiner +3:58
8. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears +4:00
9. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile +4:02
10. Andreas Kloeden (Ger) T-Mobile +4:16

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage 12 Results

2005-07-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

Stage results (top 10)
1. David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis 4hrs 20mins 06secs
2. Sandy Casar (Fra) Francaise des Jeux +57s
3. Angel Vicioso (Spa) Liberty Seguros
4. Patrice Halgand (Fra) Credit Agricole
5. Jose Luis Arrieta (Spa) Illes Balears
6. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas
7. Axel Merckx (Bel) Davitamon - Lotto
8. Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Saunier Duval
9. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole +3:15
10. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Cofidis

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Tour De France 2005 : Bastille Day glory for Moncoutie

2005-07-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Bastille Day glory for Moncoutie:

Bastille Day glory for Moncoutie

Cofidis rider David Moncoutie gave the home crowds added reason to celebrate on Bastille Day by winning stage 12 of the Tour de France on Thursday.
Sandy Casar, another Frenchman, claimed second spot on the 187km ride from Briancon to Digne-les-Bains after holding off Spain's Angel Vicioso.
Lance Armstrong retained the overall lead but lost team-mate Manuel Beltan in a crash early on in the stage.
The Spaniard quit after falling on the Col des Demoiselles Coiffees climb.
Moncoutie became the 15th Frenchman since World War II to win on France's national holiday.

Armstrong retains overall lead, rival Vinokourov makes up time

2005-07-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Armstrong retains overall lead, rival Vinokourov makes up time:

Armstrong retains overall lead, rival Vinokourov makes up time
Alexandre Vinokourov, who had faded badly on Tuesday, rebounded today to win the 11th stage.
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
> Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Alexandre Vinokourov, who had faded badly Tuesday, rebounded today to win the 11th stage of the Tour de France but remains well behind six-time champion Lance Armstrong.
Armstrong finished sixth, 1:15 behind Vinokourov, and retained his overall lead and will keep the yellow jersey.

Vinokourov cuts into Armstrong's lead with win

2005-07-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Vinokourov cuts into Armstrong's lead with win - Wednesday July 13, 2005 11:31AM:

Fighting back
Vinokourov rebounds to cut into Armstrong's lead
Posted: Wednesday July 13, 2005 11:31AM; Updated: Wednesday July 13, 2005 11:44AM
BRIANCON, France (AP) -- Alexandre Vinokourov won Wednesday's second Alpine stage of the Tour de France with a solo ascent of this year's highest climb, but Lance Armstrong's overall lead remained unchanged.
The 11th-stage win at Briancon 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.
Vinokourov surged into 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 to the line.
Armstrong scaled the Galibier some 2 minutes, 40 seconds 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 the second-place Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark remained at 38 seconds. French rider Christophe Moreau moved to third overall, 2:34 behind the six-time champion.

Tour De France 2005 : Overall Standings after Stage 11

2005-07-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Overall standings: (Top 10)

1. Lance Armstrong (United States / Discovery Channel) 41:59:57"
2. Michael Rasmussen (Denmark / Rabobank) +38"
3. Christophe Moreau (France / Credit Agricole) +2:34"
4. Ivan Basso (Italy / Team CSC) +2:40"
5. Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Illes Balears) +3:16"
6. Santiago Botero (Colombia / Phonak) +3:48"
7. Levi Leipheimer (United States / Gerolsteiner) +3:58"
8. Francisco Mancebo (Spain / Illes Balears) +4:00"
9. Jan Ullrich (Germany / T-Mobile) +4:02"
10. Andreas Kloeden (Germany / T-Mobile) +4:16"

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage 10 Results

2005-07-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

Stage results (top 10):

1. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan / T-Mobile) 4:47:38"
2. Santiago Botero (Colombia / Phonak) +1"
3. Christophe Moreau (France / Credit Agricole) +1:15"
4. Bobby Julich (United States / Team CSC) same time
5. Eddy Mazzoleni (Italy / Lampre - Caffita)
6. Lance Armstrong (United States / Discovery Channel)
7. Cadel Evans (Australia / Davitamon - Lotto)
8. Levi Leipheimer (United States / Gerolsteiner)
9. Michael Rasmussen (Denmark / Rabobank)
10. Georg Totschnig (Austria / Gerolsteiner)

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Tour De France 2005 : Vinokourov takes 11th Tour stage

2005-07-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Vinokourov takes 11th Tour stage:

Vinokourov takes 11th Tour stage
Alexander Vinokourov of Kazakhstan won Wednesday's 11th stage of the Tour de France - a gruelling 172km Alpine slog from Courchevel to Briancon.
The T-Mobile rider out-sprinted Colombian rival Santiago Botero, of Phonak, in the final 500m to win by a second in four hours 47.38 seconds.
France's Christophe Moreau edged a chasing group that included Lance Armstrong to take third in 4:48.53.
But Armstrong's result was good enough to see him retain the yellow jersey.
Vinokourov mounted an early breakaway and by the time he was at the summit of the day's third climb - the massive Hors Category Col du Galibier - he was out on his own.

Botero caught him on the long descent into Briancon and together both riders worked together to hold off a chasing bunch being led by Armstrong's Discovery Channel.
But he timed his sprint to line perfectly to secure the stage.
'I really wanted to attack on this stage,' said Vinokourov, who now moves up from 16th overall to 12th.
'After losing so much time on Tuesday I felt I had got nothing to lose and I wanted to show that I'm far from being out of the race.'

Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong Climbs Back Into Lead

2005-07-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

Bicycling: Tour De France 2005 - Armstrong Climbs Back Into Lead:

Armstrong Climbs Back Into Lead
Defending champ overpowers rivals in mountains
By Joe 'Lindsey, Contributing Writer
July 12, 2005
When Lance Armstrong (Discovery Channel) gave up the yellow jersey following Sunday�s ninth stage of the Tour de France, he planned on getting it back. He followed through today with a textbook-perfect ride on the 10th stage, from Grenoble to Courchevel, and in so doing dispatched nearly all of his main rivals to significant time gaps.
The only racers who could ultimately hold the American�s wheel were a trio of climbers: King of the Mountains leader Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), and the Illes Balears duo of Alejandro Valverde and Francisco Mancebo. The four rode together up the final few kilometers of the Courchevel climb, where Valverde came around Armstrong for his first stage win, a considerable achievement given that this is his first-ever Tour de France.
�It was the first big day for our team,� said Armstrong, speaking of his team�s struggles in the eighth stage. �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 Rasmussen, Valverde, and Mancebo. Without them I might not have got the result I wanted.�

Tour De France 2005 : No surprise - Armstrong blows away rivals, captures yellow jersey

2005-07-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Armstrong captures yellow jersey again - Tuesday July 12, 2005 12:05PM:

No surprise
Armstrong blows away rivals, captures yellow jersey
Posted: Tuesday July 12, 2005 11:32AM; Updated: Tuesday July 12, 2005 2:26PM

COURCHEVEL, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong took a decisive step Tuesday toward a seventh consecutive Tour de France title, blowing away his main rivals in the first Alpine stage to regain the overall lead.
Armstrong did the damage on the punishing 13.8-mile climb to the ski station of Courchevel, eating up the ascent with ease while Jan Ullrich and other challengers grimaced in pain behind.
Spain's Alejandro Valverde won the 10th stage, just beating Armstrong to the finish line, but is not considered one of Armstrong's main rivals in this year's race. Valverde and Armstrong finished the 110.9-mile stage in 4 hours, 50 minutes, 35 seconds.
Mickael Rasmussen is second in the overall standings, 38 seconds behind Armstrong. Ivan Basso, among the main challengers left behind by Armstrong on Tuesday, is third overall -- 2:40 behind the Texan.
Rasmussen finished the stage in third place, 9 seconds behind Valverde and Armstrong.
Valverde and Armstrong shook hands in the saddle after they crossed the line together.
'Today, I had good legs,' Armstrong said. 'We are in a good position with regards to some of the main rivals, so we'll have to protect that.'
His powerful ride silenced doubts that Armstrong is too old at 33, or too jaded after his record six victories,

Tour De France 2005 : Overall standings after Stage 10

2005-07-12T11:47:00.001-07:00

Overall standings (Top 10)
1. Lance Armstrong (US) Discovery 37:11:04"
2. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank +38s
3. Ivan Basso (It) Team CSC +2:40
4. Christophe Moreau (Fr) Credit Agricole +2:42
5. Alejandro Valverde (Sp) Illes Balears +3:16
6. Levi Leipheimer (US) Gerolsteiner +3:58
7. Francisco Mancebo (Sp) Illes Balears +4:00
8. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile +4:02
9. Andreas Kloden (Ger) T-Mobile +4:16
10. Floyd Landis (US) Phonak same time

Tour De France 2005 : Stage 10 Results

2005-07-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

Stage results (Top 10)
1. Alejandro Valverde (Sp) Illes Balears 4hrs 50mins 35secs
2. Lance Armstrong (US) Discovery same time
3. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank +9s
4. Francisco Mancebo (Sp) Illes Balears same time
5. Ivan Basso (It) Team CSC +1:02
6. Levi Leipheimer (US) Gerolsteiner +1:15
7. Eddy Mazzoleni (It) Lampre-Caffita +2:14
8. Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto same time
9. Andreas Kloden (Ger) T-Mobile same time
10. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Credit Agricole same time

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Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong takes control of Tour

2005-07-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Armstrong takes control of Tour:

Armstrong takes control of Tour

Lance Armstrong reclaimed the Tour de France leader's yellow jersey after stage 10 from Grenoble to Courchevel.
The first of the Tour's mountain stages was won by Alejandro Valverde, who just pipped Armstong after a gruelling category one climb to the finish.
After looking vulnerable in the first week, Armstrong's Discovery team were at their best in the Alps, setting a relentless pace on the final climb.
Armstrong left main rivals Jan Ullrich and Alexandre Vinokourov far behind.
The six-time Tour winner leads the overall standings by 38 seconds from Dane Michael Rasmussen with Ullrich now over four minutes adrift.
But Armstrong downplayed his advantage saying: 'We're in a good position as compared to some of the main rivals - but there's still a lot of racing to go.
'We have another day in the Alps, a transition stage then two very tough days in the Pyrenees, then the final time trial.'

Tour De France 2005 : Overall Standings after Stage 9

2005-07-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

Overall standings (Top 10)
1. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 32hrs 18mins 23secs
2. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole at 1min 50secs
3. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel at 2.18
4. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank at 2.43
5. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile Team at 3.20
6. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC at 3.25
7. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC at 3.44
8. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team at 3.54
9. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC at same time
10. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel at 4.05

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage 9 Results

2005-07-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

Stage results (Top 10)
1. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank 4hrs 08mins 20secs
2. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole at 3mins 04secs
3. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC at same time
4. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Cofidis at 6.04
5. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Francaise des Jeux at same time
6. Anthony Geslin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom at same time
7. Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner at same time
8. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Bouygues Telecom at same time
9. Jerome Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom at same time
10. Gerrit Glomser (Aut) Lampre - Caffita at same time

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MSNBC - Armstrong gives up overall Tour lead

2005-07-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

MSNBC - Armstrong gives up overall Tour lead:

Armstrong gives up overall Tour lead
Voigt takes yellow jersey in stage 9; six-time champ not concerned
BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
Updated: 11:36 a.m. ET July 10, 2005
MULHOUSE, France - Lance Armstrong gave up the overall lead in the Tour de France on Sunday, allowing Germany�s Jens Voigt to wear the yellow jersey while the six-time champion prepares to scale the mighty Alps.
Armstrong finished 28th in the ninth stage and dropped to third overall, 2 minutes, 18 seconds behind Voigt. The Texan, seeking a seventh straight Tour victory before he retires, had been in front for five days.
Armstrong does not regard Voigt as a main contender in the Tour. Letting the German take the leader�s yellow jersey off his shoulders allowed Armstrong to head into the Alps, which start on Tuesday after a rest day on Monday, without worrying about having to defend the lead.
Danish racer Mickael Rasmussen took his first career Tour stage victory with a gutsy solo ride. Sunday's 106.3-mile route from Gerardmer and Mulhouse in eastern France took the riders over six climbs, and Rasmussen was first over them all.
Team CSC rider Voigt crossed the line 3:04 seconds behind Rasmussen with French rider Christophe Moreau � good enough to take the overall race lead from Armstrong.
Armstrong finished in a pack with his main rivals several minutes behind Voigt and Moreau, now 1:50 behind in second.
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. Their competition is expected to begin in earnest in the Alps. Ullrich finished 29th on Sunday, Vinokourov 35th and Basso 39th.

Tour De France 2005 : NYTimes - Armstrong Gives Up the Overall Lead in the Tour de France

2005-07-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Armstrong Gives Up the Overall Lead in the Tour de France
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 11:05 a.m. ET
MULHOUSE, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong gave up the overall lead in the Tour de France on Sunday, allowing Germany's Jens Voigt to wear the yellow jersey while the six-time champion prepares to scale the mighty Alps.
Armstrong dropped to third overall, 2 minutes, 18 seconds behind Voigt. The Texan, seeking a seventh straight Tour victory before he retires, had been in front for five days.
Armstrong does not regard Voigt as a main contender in the Tour. Letting the German take the leader's yellow jersey off his shoulders allowed Armstrong to head into the Alps, which start on Tuesday after a rest day on Monday, without worrying about having to defend the lead.
Danish racer Mickael Rasmussen won the ninth stage with a gutsy solo ride. Sunday's 106.3-mile route from Gerardmer and Mulhouse in eastern France took the riders over six climbs, and Rasmussen was first over them all.
Team CSC rider Voigt crossed the line 3:04 seconds behind Rasmussen with French rider Christophe Moreau -- good enough to take the overall race lead from Armstrong.
Armstrong finished in a pack with his main rivals several minutes behind Voigt and Moreau, now 1:50 behind in second.
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. Their competition is expected to begin in earnest in the Alps.
''We don't need the yellow jersey,'' Armstrong said at the start of the stage. ''We don't need to keep it in the Alps. We need to have it at the end.''
Armstrong's team did not give chase when Rasmussen sprinted off on the day's first climb, building up a lead that he never gave up. Nor did Armstrong's teammates seek to prevent Voigt from taking the overall lead, although they still pedaled robustly to make sure that he did not get too far ahead -- and to show that they remain strong after they had a disappointing day on Saturday.

Armstrong's pack ''weren't riding that much behind, so it happily worked for me,'' Voigt said.

Armstrong will have plenty of opportunities to gain time on the punishing Alpine climbs, or later in the Pyrenees and in a final time trial race against the clock on the Tour's next-to-last day, before the finish in Paris on July 24.

Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong loses lead in Le Tour

2005-07-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Armstrong loses lead in Le Tour:

Armstrong loses lead in Le Tour

Lance Armstrong lost his grip on the Tour de France yellow jersey as Dane Mickael Rasmussen won stage nine with a strong display of climbing on Sunday.
Armstrong finished the day in third place overall, more than two minutes behind new leader Jens Voigt.
Rasmussen, who rides for the Radobank team, took the lead after 3km and won maximum points on all of the climbs.
He held off the challenge of German Voigt and Christophe Moreau, who moved above Armstrong into second place.
Voigt, who had started the day one minute behind Lance Armstrong, had been in a group tracking Rasmussen for much of the race but broke away with Moreau on the final climb of the day, the Ballon d�Alsace.
It gave the German the yellow jersey for the second time in his career while Rasmussen became the 10th Dane to win a stage on the Tour.
But Voigt admits that he is unlikely to keep the lead when the riders head for the Alps after Monday's rest day.
'I could not be happier but it cost me a lot of effort and I expect to pay a high price in two days time. But today I have the jersey and that's great.'

Tour De France 2005 : NYTimes : Armstrong Discovers the Faults in His Team

2005-07-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

Armstrong Discovers the Faults in His Team

GERARDMER, France, July 9 - Lance Armstrong, faced with his first direct challenge on the initial important climb in the 92nd Tour de France, came through unscathed but concerned Saturday as he retained the yellow jersey of the race's leader while his team faltered badly.

His major rivals did not make it easy for him. Three of them closed in on Armstrong in the overall standings after a stage in which his Discovery Channel team failed to offer its usual support. Still, Armstrong is the leader by a minute.

"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."

He did not have an immediate explanation why his teammates were not around to offer assistance on the day's big climb. None finished with the main group of contenders, in which Armstrong was 20th in the same time as most of his rivals.

"I'll have to sit down with them tonight and ask what went wrong," Armstrong said. "I'll have to ask, 'What's wrong with your legs?' "

He did not seem alarmed as he noted that the Tour had two weeks to go before it ends in Paris on July 24.

"Perhaps we've been too active early on in the race," Armstrong said. "Perhaps we've been riding too hard."

This seemed to be a good test of his form before strenuous climbing begins Sunday and increases in difficulty Tuesday and Wednesday. Before the ride, sounding certain that he and his team were in top form, Armstrong invited attacks, and he received them. He wanted no mass sprints, and there were none.

Not that his rivals based their tactics Saturday on his preferences. The topography of the eighth of 21 Tour stages did that.

The day's chief difficulty rose about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the end of the 231.5-kilometer (144-mile) stage: the Schlucht Pass in the hills of the Vosges region of eastern France. With a gradient of 4.4 percent, it was not particularly steep, although it lasted nearly 17 kilometers (10.5 miles).

That was a trial for riders accustomed to flat roads or small climbs during the first week of the race. The result was a collapse in the 180-man field, with all but 34 riders losing more than a minute.

Armstrong was tested on the climb by Alexandre Vinokourov, a Kazakh with T-Mobile, and Andreas Kl�den, a German with the same team and the second-place Tour finisher last year. Vinokourov sped away from Armstrong early in the stage. Armstrong, the six-time Tour winner, responded to the attack by Vinokourov and caught him, riding with Vinokourov and his team leader, Jan Ullrich, a German and a perennial second-place finisher.

"We really tested his legs, and we saw that he is in pretty good form, but that his team is not," Vinokourov told reporters, according to The Associated Press. "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."

Kl�den sped off unmarked and caught the stage leader, Pieter Weening, a Dutchman with Rabobank, at the top of the climb.

Cooperating well, the two increased their slight lead on the 15-kilometer (9.3-mile) descent to the finish in G�rardmer, a resort on a pretty lake flecked with canoes.

Weening got his bicycle across the line first, inches ahead of Kl�den. They were timed in 5 hours 3 minutes 54 seconds, a speed of 28.4 miles an hour.

Alejandro Valverde, a Spaniard with Illes Balears, was third, 27 seconds behind. Armstrong, Vinokourov, Ullrich and other favorites like Ivan Basso, an Italian with CSC, and Bobby Julich, an American with CSC, all had the same deficit.

In the overall standings, Armstrong leads Jens Voigt, a German with CSC, by a minute, with Vinokourov third, 1:02 behind; Julich fourth, 1:07 behind; Basso fifth, 1:26 behind; and Ullrich sixth, 1:36 behind. When George Hincapie, Armstrong's American teammate, finished 48th and lost 1:25, he fell from second place to eighth. Basso moved up from ninth place to fifth, Ullrich from 13th to 6th and Kl�den from 24th to 9th.

The day started in Pforzheim, Germany, and moved into small climbs in the Black Forest, where enormous crowds waited on the hills. So many people were there that they spilled over the top and down the descent, where usually nobody watches because the riders pass so quickly.

That big turnout continued all day.

Germany has become a center of bicycle racing enthusiasm since Ullrich's victory in the 1997 Tour.

Despite his subsequent four second-place finishes and his many personal problems, Ullrich remains a national hero and attracts multitudes of fans. Even when he finished second to Armstrong in 2003 in a Tour that he might have won with smarter racing, he was voted Germany's athlete of the year.

"Ulle" signs were everywhere, and Germans were happy to talk about their enthusiasm for him.

Nevertheless, in this race Ullrich ranks realistically as T-Mobile's second man behind Vinokourov. The two of them, with Kl�den as a wild card, form a strong team.

Right now, as Armstrong said, he does not have the same support on his Discovery Channel team.

"They'll bounce back," predicted Julich, who formerly rode for T-Mobile. "They never have two bad days in a row."

Armstrong, who told reporters that he felt isolated and that he was suffering during the stage, did not sound so sure.

"We'll have to wait for tomorrow," he said.

Tour De France 2005 : MSNBC - Lance retains lead, but angry with teammates

2005-07-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

MSNBC - Lance retains lead, but angry with teammates:

Lance retains lead, but angry with teammates
Dutch rider Weening barely wins 8th stage of Tour in a sprint
The Associated Press
Updated: 7:16 p.m. ET July 9, 2005
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.
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 and was one minute ahead of Jens Voigt of Team CSC.
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 Kloeden. Armstrong and key rivals Jan Ullrich and Alexandre 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."

Tour De France 2005 : SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Weening wins stage, but Armstrong still leads - Saturday July 9, 2005 12:38PM

2005-07-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Weening wins stage, but Armstrong still leads - Saturday July 9, 2005 12:38PM:

Lance leads
Weening wins 8th stage, but Armstrong still in yellow
Posted: Saturday July 9, 2005 11:31AM; Updated: Saturday July 9, 2005 12:47PM

GERARDMER, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong kept his overall lead in the Tour de France on Saturday despite what he said was a bad day for his team and fierce challenges in the race's hardest mountain climb so far.
Dutch rider Pieter Weening of the Rabobank team won the eighth stage in a sprint against Andreas Kloeden, last year's Tour runner-up.
Armstrong, bidding for a seventh straight title before retirement after the three-week race, finished in 20th place. He and key rivals Jan Ullrich and Alexandre Vinokourov had the same time, riding in behind the two leaders in a pack.
Armstrong remained 1 minute, 2 seconds ahead of Vinokourov, who is third overall. Armstrong is 1:36 ahead of Ull

Tour De France 2005 : Overall standings after Stage Eight

2005-07-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

Overall standings (Top 10)
1. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel at 28:06:17
2. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC at 1:00
3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile at 1:02
4. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC at 1:07
5. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC at 1:26
6. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile at 1:36
7. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC at same time
8. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel at 1:47
9. Andreas Kloeden (Ger) T-Mobile at 1:50
10. Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak at same time

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage Eight Results

2005-07-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

Stage result (Top 10)
1. Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank at 5:03:54
2. Andreas Kloeden (Ger) T-Mobile at same time
3. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Illes Balears at 27 seconds
4. Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo at same time
5. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
6. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile
7. Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto)
8. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole
9. Chris Horner (USA) Saunier Duval)
10. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile

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Tour De France 2005 : Weening gets nod in photo finish

2005-07-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Weening gets nod in photo finish:

Weening gets nod in photo finish

Pieter Weening took stage eight of the Tour de France from Andreas Kloden.
The key moment came on the race's first major climb - the second category Col de la Schlucht - at the end of the day.
Race leader Lance Armstrong was left isolated by his team, faced numerous attacks from rivals T-Mobile and had no option but to let Kloden jump clear.
The German caught lone escapee Weening on the summit but was beaten on the finishing line before Armstrong and the big names came in 27 seconds back.
Rabobank enjoyed a good day in the saddle on the race's second-longest stage, a 231.5km route from Pforzheim in Germany across the Rhine and back into France.
As well as celebrating the stage victory through their 24-year-old Tour debutant they saw Michael Rasmussen assume the polka dot jersey for the best climber.

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Lance still leads after Stage 7, mountains loom

2005-07-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Lance still leads after Stage 7, mountains loom - Friday July 8, 2005 12:02PM:

Still on top
Lance No. 1 as mountains loom, McEwen wins Stage 7
Posted: Friday July 8, 2005 11:48AM; Updated: Friday July 8, 2005 1:06PM
KARLSRUHE, Germany (AP) -- 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 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.'

Tour De France 2005 : Overall standings after Stage 7

2005-07-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

Overall standings (Top 10)
1. Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel 23:01:56
2. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel at 0.55secs
3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile Team at 1:02
4. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC at 1:04
5. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC at 1.07
6. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spa) Discovery Channel at 1:14
7. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Discovery Channel at 1:16
8. Benjamin Noval (Spa) Discovery Channel at 1:26
9. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC at same time
10. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC at 1:32

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage 7 Results

2005-07-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

Stage results (Top 10)

1. Robbie McEwen (Aus)Davitamon-Lotto 5:03:45"
2. Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Liquigas-Bianchi at same time
3. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Francaise Des Jeux at same time
4. Gerrit Glomser (Aut) Lampre-Caffita at same time
5. Baden Cooke (Aus) Francaise Des Jeux at same time
6. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Fassa Bortolo at same time
7. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick.Step at same time
8. Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Lampre-Caffita at same time
9. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole at same time
10. Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Fassa Bortolo at same time

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McEwen sprints to stage seven win

2005-07-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | McEwen sprints to stage seven win:

McEwen sprints to stage seven win

Robbie McEwen was strongest in an uphill bunch sprint to win stage seven of the Tour de France on German soil.
Fabian Wegmann's bid to land a popular home win at the finish in Karlsruhe faltered 23km out as he was swallowed up by the fast-moving peloton.
He eventually came in with the main pack, which included the yellow jersey of six-time winner Lance Armstrong.
The stage had started with a minute's silence observed for the victims of the London bomb attacks on Thursday.
It was a seventh career stage win for Australian McEwen and his second on this year's tour, following his victory three days ago.
'It turned out to be a nice sprint,' said the 33-year-old afterwards.
'Sometimes winning stages comes down to the small details, getting the right gap at the right time and of course having the legs to do it.
'For a while I didn't think I was going to get through because I was completely blocked on the right side but then it swung left and I started early with a good 150m to go.
'I was able to hold everybody off and it was a really great win and a nice one for the team.'
The Davitamon rider, 33, had briefly led early on when he joined Wegmann on the attack after the first climb at 45km.
But McEwen surrendered the advantage 12km later to rejoin the peloton and leave the German as solo leader for the next 149km.
After wrapping up more climbing points at Col du Hantz, Wegmann raised hopes of a stage win on home soil as he stretched his lead to a peak of eight minutes 35 seconds.
But as the terrain flattened, the main pack gradually began to reel in the Gerolsteiner rider, who will wear the polka-dot jersey in stage eight.
Wegmann was first to cross into Germany but was finally consumed by the chasing

Tour De France 2005 : Stage Six Results

2005-07-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

Stage results (Top 10)
1. Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Fassa Bortolo at 4:12:52"
2. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) (T-Mobile) at same time
3. Robert Foerster (Ger) Gerolsteiner at 7 secs
4. Angelo Furlan (Ita) Domina Vacanze at same time
5. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole
6. Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo
7. Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Lampre-Caffita
8. Egoi Martinez (Spa) Euskaltel
9. Gerrit Glomser (Aus) Lampre-Caffita
10. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC

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Tour De France 2005 : Overall standings after Stage Six

2005-07-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

Overall standings after Stage Six

1 L Armstrong US Discovery 17:58.23
2 A Vinok'ov Kaz T-Mobile @ 0.53
3 R Julich US Team CSC @ 0.55
4 G Hincapie US Discovery @ 0.55
5 J Voigt Ger Team CSC @ 1.04
6 Y Popovych Ukr Discovery @ 1.16
7 K-A Arvesen Nor Team CSC @ 1.20
8 JL Rubiera Sp Discovery @ 1.21
9 J Ullrich Ger T-Mobile @ 1.24
10 P Savold'li It Discovery @ 1.33

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Bernucci wins dramatic stage six

2005-07-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Bernucci wins dramatic stage six:

Bernucci wins dramatic stage six

Italy's Lorenzo Bernucci avoided a mass pile-up in the final kilometre to win stage six of the Tour de France.
The Fassa Bortolo rider finished 0.03 seconds ahead of T-Mobile's Alexandre Vinokourov, who climbed to second in the overall standings.
Lance Armstrong is still in the overall lead after also avoiding the big crash on a sharp right-handed corner.
But France's Christophe Mengin, who had led for the majority of the last 10km, was not so lucky and crashed out.
The 199km stage from Troyes to Nancy was dominated by a five-man breakaway.
One of the group, Mengin, looked set to win as he struck out for glory.
However, with Vinokourov set to catch him in the last kilometre, Mengin fell, causing a pile-up which forced the Kazakh rider to take evasive action.
Vinokourov, 31, could prove to be Armstrong's main challenger as the race goes on.

Tour De France 2005 : Overall standings after stage five

2005-07-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Overall standings after stage five:

1 Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel 13hours 45mins 12secs 2 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel at 0.55
3 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 1.04
4 Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC 1.07
5 Jose Luis Rubiera (Spa) Discovery Channel 1.14
6 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Discovery Channel 1.16
7 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile Team 1.21
8 Benjamin Noval (Spa) Discovery Channel 1.26
9 David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC
10 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC

Tour De France 2005 : Stage 5 Results

2005-07-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

Stage results:

1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto 3.46.00 (48.584 km/h)
2 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick.Step
3 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole
4 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Cofidis Le Credit Par Telephone
5 Angelo Furlan (Ita) Domina Vacanze
6 Allan Davis (Aus) Liberty Seguros-W�rth
7 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Fran�aise Des Jeux
8 Baden Cooke (Aus) Fran�aise Des Jeux
9 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
10 Robert F�rster (Ger) Gerolsteiner, all with same time

Tour De France 2005 : McEwen takes fifth stage sprint

2005-07-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | McEwen takes fifth stage sprint:

McEwen takes fifth stage sprint
Australian Robbie McEwen won the fifth stage of the Tour de France edging out sprint rival Tom Boonen.
Belgian Boonen took second place and Norway's Thor Hushovd finished third, with Lance Armstrong holding on to the race leader's yellow jersey.
In stage three of the Tour McEwen lost third place to Stuart O'Grady after organisers ruled he had hindered his fellow Australian's line at the finish.
McEwen said: 'My team's done a mountain of work - it's good to pay them back.'
However, the Davitamon-Lotto rider conceded defeat to Boonen in the race for the green jersey.
'I haven't changed my mind... I was 44 points down this morning, now I'm down to 45 because I didn't do the intermediate sprints,' he said.
'It would be a miracle to make it back into contention or it would take Tom a lot of very bad luck which, of course, I don't wish on him. Now I'm here for stage wins.'
Boonen has enhanced his reputation by already winning two stages in the 2005 tour, both sprint finishes.
Spanish rider Juan Antonio Flecha tried his luck early on in Wednesday's stage but was then caught by three pursuers - Hungary's Laszlo Bodrogi, Italian Salvatore Commesso and Finn Kjell Carlstrom.
That quartet of riders built up a lead of up to several minutes but were reined in by the peloton with just over 10km to go.
At the start of stage five Armstrong had not wanted to wear yellow as a mark of respect for compatriot David Zabriskie, who lost the overall lead after crashing at the end of Tuesday's team trial.
But Armstrong, who is on course for a seventh Tour win, was told by organisers to wear the yellow jersey.

Armstrong Takes Lead in Tour de France - New York Times

2005-07-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Armstrong Takes Lead in Tour de France - New York Times:

Armstrong Takes Lead in Tour de France
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 12:30 p.m. ET
BLOIS, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong's Discovery Channel squad won the team time trial at the Tour de France on Tuesday, handing the six-time champion the yellow jersey as overall race leader.
The 33-year-old Texan led his squad to victory for the third straight year in the time trial, clocking 1 hour, 10 minutes, 39 seconds for the 41.85-mile trek from Tours to Blois. Team CSC was second.
''It's always nice to be in yellow,'' Armstrong said. ''There are three or four flat stages coming, so it will not be easy to defend the jersey.''
Team CSC was runner-up, finishing a mere 2 seconds behind. American rider David Zabriskie of CSC, who had come into the stage in the leader's yellow jersey, fell less than a mile before the finish.
Zabriskie got back onto his bicycle, his uniform torn and left thigh scraped, and coasted across the finish line. He now trails Armstrong by 1:26 and fell to ninth overall.
Armstrong will wear the yellow jersey for the 66th time in his Tour career. His teammate, George Hincapie, is second overall, 55 seconds behind.
Under overcast skies, the nine-man teams set off one-by-one through the Loire River valley, known for its majestic medieval and Renaissance castles, and through the town of Ambroise where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last years of his life.
The Discovery teammates took turns leading the single-file pack of riders.
''It was a very tight matchup as we expected. We kept a good rhythm,'' Discovery team director Johan Bruyneel said. ''We stayed together. It was a beautiful machine operating.''
The riders will now embark on three relatively flat stages toward Germany, where the race heads Friday, starting with a 113-mile ride from the Chambord castle to the industrial town of Montargis on Wednesday.

Tour De France 2005 : Overall Standings (After Stage 4)

2005-07-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

Overall standings:

1. Lance Armstrong (US/Discovery Channel) 9hrs 59mins 12secs
2. George Hincapie (US/Discovery Channel) +55secs
3. Jens Voigt (Ger/Team CSC) +1:04
4. Bobby Julich (US/Team CSC) +1:07
5. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spa/Discovery Channel) +1:14
6. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr/Discovery Channel) +1:16
7. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz/T-Mobile) +1:21
8. Benjamin Noval (Spa/Discovery Channel) +1:26
9. David Zabriskie (US/Team CSC)
10. Ivan Basso (Ita/Team CSC)

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Tour De France 2005 : Stage 4 Results

2005-07-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

Stage four team time trial result:

1. Discovery Channel 1hr 10mins 39secs
2. Team CSC +2secs
3. T-Mobile +35
4. Liberty Seguros +53
5. Phonak +1:31
6. Credit Agricole +1:41
7. Illes Balears +2:05
7. Gerolsteiner +2:05
9. Fassa Bortolo +2:19
10. Liquigas +2:26
11. Davitamon - Lotto +2:32
12. Rabobank +2:48
13. Domina Vacanze +3:04
14. Quick-Step +3:05
15. Bouygues Telecom +3:08
16. Euskaltel +3:59
17. Lampre - Caffita +4:09
18. Cofidis +4:28
19. Francaise des Jeux +4:46
20. Saunier Duval +5:06
21. AG2R +5:23

Tour De France 2005 : CNN.com - What makes Lance Armstrong tick

2005-07-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

CNN.com - What makes Lance Armstrong tick - Jul 5, 2005:

What makes Lance Armstrong tick
Daniel Coyle chronicles 'Lance Armstrong's War'
By Todd Leopold
CNN
(CNN) -- Winston Churchill, who once referred to Russia as 'a riddle wrapped up in a mystery inside an enigma,' would appreciate Lance Armstrong.
The cyclist, who is pursuing an unprecedented seventh straight Tour de France title this month, is that most public of figures: a world-famous athlete. He has co-written two autobiographies, inspired millions to wear yellow 'Livestrong' bands on their wrists and become a popular advertising spokesman for companies including Subaru and Nike.
And yet he remains opaque, a man of intense will and action but apparently little introspection, single-mindedly devoted to winning, or pushing himself to his physical limits, or standing up for his causes -- which often happen to be the same thing.
'Here is this guy that you know but don't really know,' says author Daniel Coyle. 'He's such an amazing story, and you start to think, what else is going on in there?'
Coyle was determined to find out. The Outside magazine contributing editor moved his family from southern Alaska to Europe to follow Armstrong and other cyclists as they pursued the 2004 Tour de France title. Coyle chronicles the story in 'Lance Armstrong's War' (HarperCollins).
It wasn't easy. Cancer patients, attracted by Armstrong's triumph over the disease in the late '90s, seek a minute with the man as if his blessing could heal their wounds. Journalists, skeptical of his success, are determined to find proof of doping. (Armstrong, who has always tested clean, calls antagonists 'trolls.') And fans pursue him because ... well, because he's famous.
Armstrong is wary at the best of times, k

Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong takes over yellow jersey

2005-07-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

MSNBC - Armstrong takes over yellow jersey:

Armstrong takes over yellow jersey
Discovery Channel team wins time trial in fourth stage; Zabriskie crashes
BREAKING NEWS
NBCSports.com news services
Updated: 11:30 a.m. ET July 5, 2005
TOURS, France - Lance Armstrong�s Discovery Channel squad won the team time trial of the Tour de France on Tuesday, handing the six-time champion the yellow jersey as overall race leader.
The 33-year-old Texan led his squad to victory for the third straight year in the time trial, clocking 1 hour, 10 minutes, 40 seconds for the 41.85-mile trek from Tours to Blois. Team CSC was second.
Former leader David Zabriskie, also of the United States, crashed in the final portion of the race and had to limp across the line late behind the rest of his CSC team.

Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong takes overall Tour lead

2005-07-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Armstrong takes overall Tour lead:

Armstrong takes overall Tour lead

Lance Armstrong moved into a 55 second overall lead after CSC rider David Zabriskie fell approaching the finish on the stage four team time trial.

Yellow jersey wearer Zabriskie and his CSC team looked on target to take the stage win but the American took a tumble just over 1km from the finish.

CSC finished two seconds behind Armstrong's Discovery Channel team and Zabriskie is now over a minute behind.

Armstrong's team-mate George Hincapie is second in the overall standings.

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Tour De France 2005 : Overall standings

2005-07-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Boonen wins second stage in a row:

Overall standings:
1. David Zabriskie (United States / Team CSC) 8:48:31'
2. Lance Armstrong (United States / Discovery Channel) +2'
3. Laszlo Bodrogi (Hungary / Credit Agricole) +47'
4. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan / T-Mobile) +53'
5. George Hincapie (United States / Discovery Channel) +57'
6. Floyd Landis (United States / Phonak) +1:02'
7. Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland / Fassa Bortolo)
8. Jens Voigt (Germany / Team CSC) +1:04'
9. Vladimir Karpets (Russia / Illes Balears) +1:05'
10. Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (Spain / Liberty Seguros) +1:06'

Tour De France 2005 : Leading stage three finishers

2005-07-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Boonen wins second stage in a row:

Leading stage three finishers:
1. 1. Tom Boonen (QST)
2. Peter Wrolich (GST)
3. Stuart O'Grady (COF)
4. Bernhard Eisel (FDJ)
5. Allan Davis (LWT)
6. Robert Forster (GST)
7. Magnus Backstedt (LIQ)
8. Anthony Geslin (BTL)
9. Thor Hushovd (C.A)
10. Angelo Furlan (DOM)

Tour De France 2005 : Boonen wins second stage in a row

2005-07-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

Lance finishes safely in the pack ...

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Boonen wins second stage in a row:

Boonen wins second stage in a row

Tom Boonen timed his sprint perfectly to take the glory in Tours on stage three of the Tour de France.
The Belgian pipped Peter Wrolich, Robbie McEwen and Stuart O'Grady, although the former lost his place for hindering O'Grady's line at the finish.
Erik Dekker, Nicolas Portal and Rubens Bertogliati had broken after just 27km but were gobbled up close to the end.
Race leader David Zabriskie and six-times Tour winner Lance Armstrong finished safely in the peloton.
Quickstep rider Boonen won Sunday's second stage in similarly daring fashion and keeps the green jersey for best sprinter.

Tour De France 2005 : Overall standings - after stage 2

2005-07-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

Overall standings:
1. David Zabriskie (US/CSC) 4hrs 12mins 27secs
2. Lance Armstrong (US/Discovery) at 0:02
3. Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun/Credit Agricole) at 0:47
4. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz/T-Mobile) at 0:53
5. George Hincapie (US/Discovery) at 0:57
6. Floyd Landis (US/Phonak) at 1:02
7. Fabian Cancellara (Swi/Fassa Bortolo) same time
8. Jan Ullrich (Ger/T-Mobile) at 1:03
9. Jens Voigt (Ger/CSC) at 1:04
10. Vladimir Karpets (Rus/Illes Balears) at 1:05

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Tour De France 2005 : Leading stage two finishers

2005-07-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Leading stage two finishers:

1. Tom Boonen (Bel/Quick-Step) 3:51:31"
2. Thor Hushovd (Nor/Credit Agricole) at same time
3. Robbie McEwen (Aus/Lotto)
4. Stuart O'Grady (Aus/Cofidis)
5. Luciano Pagliarini (Bra/Liquigas)
6. Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa/Fassa Bortolo)
7. Peter Wrolich (Aut/Gerolsteiner)
8. Jerome Pineau (Fra/Bouygues Telecom)
9. Baden Cooke (Aus/Francaise des Jeux)
10. Allan Davis (Aus/Liberty Seguros)

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Boonen enjoys Tour sprint victory

2005-07-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Boonen enjoys Tour sprint victory:

Boonen enjoys Tour sprint victory

Tom Boonen outsprinted Thor Hushovd and Robbie McEwen to win the first full stage of the Tour de France.
The Belgian Quickstep rider timed his effort perfectly after Australian McEwen had led out the 189-man field.
But the sprinters only took control of stage two - which followed Saturday's 19km time trial - when they caught four breakaway riders with just 8km left.
Lance Armstrong and yellow jersey wearer David Zabriskie finished safely in the peloton in Les Essarts.
That meant that Zabriskie retained the overall lead of the race, although for much of the day Laszlo Bodrogi was the leader on the road.
Starting 59 seconds off Zabriskie's pace, Bodrogi was one of 14 men who surged from the main pack early on.
Most of those riders were soon caught.
I feel pretty good - I figure the faster I pedal, the faster I can retire
Lance Armstrong
But a breakaway four - comprising Bodrogi, David Canada, Sylvain Calzati and local hero Thomas Voeckler - built up a four-minute margin and stayed in front until the closing stages of the 181.5km from Challans.
Voeckler, who was a shock leader in the 2004 race, delighted the French crowds by darting up the final small climb of the day to pick up the points that mean he will be the King of the Mountains leader on Monday.
That affords him the luxury of the polka dot jersey and some extra attention.
But the spotlight will remain on American Zabriskie and, more particularly, on his compatriot Armstrong, who is bidding for an unmatched seventh-straight Tour win.
Armstrong gained no time on any of his main rivals on Sunday, but remains more than a minute clear of Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso after Saturday's time trial.

The Texan was quick to defend Ullrich, who performed below par after suffering a nasty crash on Friday.
'I talke

Tour De France 2005 - All Teams and Team Members

2005-07-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

Discovery Channel

1. Lance Armstrong (USA)
2. Jose Azevedo (POR)
3. Manuel Beltran (ESP)
4. George Hincapie (USA)
5. Benjamin Noval (ESP)
6. Pavel Padrnos (TCH)
7. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR)
8. Jose-Luis Rubiera (ESP)
9. Paolo Savoldelli (ITA)

T-Mobile

11. Jan Ullrich (ALL)
12. Giuseppe Guerini (ITA)
13. Matthias Kessler (ALL)
14. Andreas Kloden (ALL)
15. Daniele Nardello (ITA)
16. Stephan Schreck (ALL)
17. Oscar Sevilla (ESP)
18. Tobias Steinhauser (ALL)
19. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ)

Team CSC

21. Ivan Basso (ITA)
22. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (NOR)
23. Bobby Julich (USA)
24. Giovanni Lombardi (ITA)
25. Luke Roberts (AUS)
26. Carlos Sastre (ESP)
27. Nicki Sorensen (DAN)
28. Jens Voigt (ALL)
29. David Zabriskie (USA)

Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne

31. Francisco Mancebo (ESP)
32. Jose-Luis Arrieta (ESP)
33. David Arroyo (ESP)
34. Daniel Becke (ESP)
35. Isaac Galvez (ESP)
36. Jose-Vicente Garcia-Acosta (ESP)
37. Vladimir Karpets (Rus)
38. Alejandro Valverde (ESP)
39. Xabier Zandio (ESP)

Davitamon-Lotto

41. Robbie McEwen (AUS)
42. Mario Aerts (BEL)
43. Christophe Brandt (BEL)
44. Cadel Evans (AUS)
45. Axel Merckx (BEL)
46. Fred Rodriguez (USA)
47. Leon Van Bon (PBS)
48. Johan Van Summeren (BEL)
49. Wim Vansevenant (BEL)

Rabobank

51. Denis Menchov (Rus)
52. Michael Boogerd (PBS)
53. Erik Dekker (PBS)
54. Karsten Kroon (PBS)
55. Gerben Lowik (PBS)
56. Joost Posthuma (PBS)
57. Michael Rasmussen (DAN)
58. Marc Wauters (BEL)
59. Pieter Weening (PBS)

Phonak Hearing Systems

61. Santiago Botero (COL)
62. Bert Grabsch (ALL)
63. Jose-Enrique Gutierrez (ESP)
64. Robert Hunter (RSA)
65. Nicolas Jalabert (FRA)
66. Floyd Landis (USA)
67. Alexandre Moos (SUI)
68. Oscar Pereiro (ESP)
69. Steve Zampieri (SUI)

Fassa Bortolo

71. Fabian Cancellara (SUI)
72. Lorenzo Bernucci (ITA)
73. Claudio Corioni (ITA)
74. Mauro Facci (ITA)
75. Juan-Antonio Flecha (ESP)
76. Dario Frigo (ITA)
77. Massimo Giunti (ITA)
78. Volodymir Gustov (UKR)
79. Kim Kirchen (Lux)

Saunier Duval- Prodir

81. Juan-Manuel Garate (ESP)
82. Jose-Angel Gomez (ESP)
83. David Canada (ESP)
84. Inigo Cuesta (ESP)
85. Nicolas Fritsch (FRA)
86. Chris Horner (USA)
87. Leonardo Piepoli (ITA)
88. Manuel Quinziato (ITA)
89. Constantino Zaballa (ESP)

Liberty Seguros-W�rth

91. Roberto Heras (ESP)
92. Joseba Beloki (ESP)
93. Alberto Contador (ESP)
94. Allan Davis (AUS)
95. Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (ESP)
96. Jorg Jaksche (ALL)
97. Luis-Leon Sanchez (ESP)
98. Marcos Serrano (ESP)
99. Angel Vicioso (ESP)

Credit Agricole

101. Christophe Moreau (FRA)
102. Laszlo Bodrogi (HON)
103. Pietro Caucchioli (ITA)
104. Patrice Halgand (FRA)
105. Sebastien Hinault (FRA)
106. Thor Hushovd (NOR)
107. Sebastien Joly (FRA)
108. Andrey Kashechkin (KAZ)
109. Jaan Kirsipuu (EST)

Liquigas Bianchi

111. Stefano Garzelli (ITA)
112. Michael Albasini (SUI)
113. Magnus Backstedt (SUE)
114. Kjell Carlstrom (FIN)
115. Dario-David Cioni (ITA)
116. Mauro Gerosa (ITA)
117. Marcus Ljungqvist (SUE)
118. Luciano Pagliarini (BRE)
119. Franco Pellizotti (ITA)

Cofidis

121. Stuart O'Grady (AUS)
122. Stephane Auge (FRA)
123. Frederic Bessy (FRA)
124. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA)
125. Thierry Marichal (BEL)
126. David Moncoutie (FRA)
127. Janek Tombak (EST)
128. Cedric Vasseur (FRA)
129. Matthew White (AUS)

Quick-Step

131. Tom Boonen (BEL)
132. Wilfried Cretskens (BEL)
133. Kevin Hulsmans (BEL)
134. Servais Knaven (PBS)
135. Michael Rogers (AUS)
136. Patrik Sinkewitz (ALL)
137. Bram Tankink (PBS)
138. Guido Trenti (USA)
139. Stefano Zanini (ITA)

Bouygues Telecom

141. Didier Rous (FRA)
142. Walter Beneteau (FRA)
143. Laurent Brochard (FRA)
144. Pierrick Fedrigo (FRA)
145. Anthony Geslin (FRA)
146. Laurent Lefevre (FRA)
147. Jerome Pineau (FRA)
148. Matthieu Sprick (FRA)
149. Thomas Voeckler (FRA)

Lampre-Caffita

151. Eddy Mazzoleni (ITA)
152. Gianluca Bortolami (ITA)
153. Salvatore Commesso (ITA)
154. Gerrit Glomser (AUT)
155. David Loosli (SUI)
156. Evgeni Petrov (Rus)
157. Daniele Righi (ITA)
158. Alessandro Spezialetti (ITA)
159. Gorazd Stangelj (Slo)

Gerolsteiner

161. Georg Totschnig (AUT)
162. Robert Forster (ALL)
163. Sebastian Lang (ALL)
164. Levi Leipheimer (USA)
165. Michael Rich (ALL)
166. Ronny Scholz (ALL)
167. Fabian Wegmann (ALL)
168. Peter Wrolich (AUT)
169. Beat Zberg (SUI)

Fran�aise des Jeux

171. Bradley McGee (AUS)
172. Sandy Casar (FRA)
173. Baden Cooke (AUS)
174. Carlos Da Cruz (FRA)
175. Bernhard Eisel (AUT)
176. Philippe Gilbert (BEL)
177. Thomas Lovkvist (SUE)
178. Christophe Mengin (FRA)
179. Francis Mourey (FRA)

Domina Vacanze

181. Serhiy Honchar (UKR)
182. Alessandro Bertolini (ITA)
183. Alessandro Cortinovis (ITA)
184. Angelo Furlan (ITA)
185. Andry Grivko (UKR)
186. Maxim Iglinskiy (KAZ)
187. Jorg Ludewig (ALL)
188. Rafael Nuritdinov (UZB)
189. Alessandro Vanotti (ITA)

Euskaltel-Euskadi

191. Iban Mayo (ESP)
192. Iker Camano (ESP)
193. Unai Etxebarria (Ven)
194. Iker Flores (ESP)
195. David Herrero (ESP)
196. Inaki Isasi (ESP)
197. Inigo Landaluze (ESP)
198. Egoi Martinez (ESP)
199. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP)

AG2r Prevoyance

201. Jean-Patrick Nazon (FRA)
202. Mikel Astarloza (ESP)
203. Sylvain Calzati (FRA)
204. Samuel Dumoulin (FRA)
205. Simon Gerrans (AUS)
206. Stephane Goubert (FRA)
207. Yuriy Krivtsov (UKR)
208. Nicolas Portal (FRA)
209. Ludovic Turpin (FRA)

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Tour De France 2005 : Leading stage one positions

2005-07-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

Leading stage one positions:

1. David Zabriskie (US/Team CSC) 20:51"
2. Lance Armstrong (US/Discovery) +2"
3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz/T-Mobile) +53"
4. George Hincapie (US/Discovery) +57"
5. Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun/Credit Agricole) +59"
6. Floyd Landis (US/Phonak) +1:02"
7. Fabian Cancellara (Swi/Fassa Bortolo) same time
8. Jens Voigt (Ger/Team CSC) +1:04"
9. Vladimir Karpets (Rus/Illes Balears) +1:05"
10. Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (Spa/Liberty Seguros) +1:06"
11. Bobby Julich (US/Team CSC) +1:07"
12. Jan Ullrich (Ger/T-Mobile) +1:08"
13. Jose Enrique Gutierrez (Spa/Phonak) +1:12"
14. Levi Leipheimer (US/Gerolsteiner) +1:13"
15. Michael Rich (Ger/Gerolsteiner) same time
16. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spa/Discovery Channel) +1:16"
17. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr/Discovery Channel) +1:17"
18. Bradley McGee (Aus/Francaise des Jeux) +1:24"
19. Marc Wauters (Bel/Rabobank) same time
20. Ivan Basso (Ita/Team CSC) +1:26"

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American duo dominate Tour opener

2005-07-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

A good start for Lance Armstrong ...

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | American duo dominate Tour opener:

American duo dominate Tour opener

American David Zabriskie was the shock winner of the opening stage of the Tour de France after a brilliant ride in a 19km time trial in the Vendee region.
His time of 20 minutes and 51 seconds was set very early.
But the main damage was done later by Lance Armstrong, who finished just two seconds behind in tougher conditions.
The Texan passed rival Jan Ullrich on the wind-swept road from Fromentine to Noirmoutier-en-I'lle, taking a minute out of the German and from Ivan Basso.
Zabriskie's time had looked unbeatable for most of the day, with highly-rated Alexandre Vinokourov the closest to toppling it some 54 seconds adrift.

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SIRIUS Satellite Radio - Lance In France

2005-07-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Lance Armstrong is podcasting ...

SIRIUS Satellite Radio - Lance In France:

Starting July 2, Lance Armstrong goes for a record-breaking 7th consecutive Tour de France victory, and no one gets you closer to the yellow jersey than SIRIUS. 'The fans have been so supportive of me over the years,' says Armstrong, 'and having them along for my last race will make this experience that much more special.'
Throughout the Tour, SIRIUS will have exclusive behind-the-scenes reports from Lance himself and Armstrong Radio co-host Mark Higgins that you'll only hear on SIRIUS. You'll get a firsthand account of every aspect of the most demanding race in professional cycling as well as commentary from the man who has dominated the sport for the last six years.
New Lance in France reports air at 4:00 pm ET every race day on SIRIUS Faction // Ch. 28 and are re-broadcast at 8:00pm and the following day at 8:00am and 12:00pm.

All tour riders are cleared to race

2005-07-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

Let the TDF begin ...

BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Tour riders are cleared to race:

Tour riders are cleared to race
All the riders for this year's Tour de France have been declared fit to compete following pre-race blood tests.
All 189 riders for cycling's blue-riband event, which starts on Saturday and finishes on 24 July, had tests over a two-hour period.
And organisers have confirmed that there was no evidence of doping in any of the results.
Last year, Spain's Gorka Gonzalez was banned from competing in the race after failing the test.

2005-06-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Tour De France 2005 Teams and Countries

Ag2r-Prevoyance Country: France
Bouygues Telecom Country: France
Credit Agricole Country: France
Cofidis Country: France
CSC Country: Denmark
Domina Vacanze Country: Italy
Discovery Channel Country: USA
Davitamon-Lotto Country: Belgium
Euskaltel-Euskadi Country: Spain
Fassa Bortolo Country: Italy
Francaise des Jeux Country: France
Gerolsteiner Country: Germany
Illes Baleares - Caisse d'Epargne Country: Spain
Lampre-Caffita Country: Italy
Liquigas-Bianchi Country: Italy
Liberty Seguros-Wurth Country: Spain
Phonak Country: Switzerland
Quick Step Country: Belgium
Rabobank Country: The Netherlands
Saunier Duval-ProDir Country: Spain
T-Mobile Country: Germany

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Tour De France 2005 Stages

2005-06-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

Stage 1 Fromentine - Noirmoutier
Stage 2 Challans to Les Essarts
Stage 3 La Chataigneraie to Tours
Stage 4 Tours to Blois
Stage 5 Chambord to Montargis
Stage 6 Troyes to Nancy
Stage 7 Luneville to Karlsruhe
Stage 8 Pforzheim to Gerardmer
Stage 9 Gerardmer to Mulhouse
Stage 10 Grenoble to Courchevel
Stage 11 Courchevel to Briancon
Stage 12 Briancon - Digne-l-Bains
Stage 13 Miramas to Montpellier
Stage 14 Agde to Ax-3-Domaines
Stage 15 Lezat - St-Lary Soulan
Stage 16 Mourenx to Pau
Stage 17 Pau to Revel
Stage 18 Albi to Mende
Stage 19 Issoire - Puy-en-Velay
Stage 20 St-Etienne to St-Etienne
Stage 21 Paris

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Discovery Channel's final Tour squad:

2005-06-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

Discovery Channel's final Tour squad:

Lance Armstrong
George Hincapie
Jose Azevedo
Yaroslav Popovych
Paolo Savoldelli
Jos� Luis Rubiera
Manuel Beltran
Benjamin Noval
Pavel Padrnos

Armstrong Confident Despite Ekimov Blow:

Armstrong Confident Despite Ekimov Blow
Wed 22 Jun, 8:13 PM

Lance Armstrong will attempt to win his seventh Tour de France with what he described as his "strongest team ever" although the Texan admitted he would miss the presence of Viatcheslav Ekimov, who is injured.

Six of the eight men who will help Armstrong along the final leg of his career were with the 33-year-old during the recent Dauphine Libere, traditionally used by the team to fine-tune ahead of the Tour.

And, as a mark of the strength in depth available to Armstrong, Paolo Salvodelli - winner of this year's Giro d'Italia, the highest profile race after the Tour - has also been confirmed as a participant.

He joins American George Hincapie, Spaniards Jose Luis Rubiera, Manuel Beltran and Benjamin Noval, Pavel Padrnos of the Czech Republic, Portugal's Jose Azevedo and Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych.

Armstrong says didn't feel comfortable in mountains

2005-06-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

Armstrong says didn't feel comfortable in mountains
Sat Jun 11, 2005 02:21 PM ET

MORZINE, France (Reuters) - Lance Armstrong was comforted by the fact that most of his Dauphine Libere rivals did not fare better than he did as the American toiled during four first-category mountain climbs Saturday.

With the exception of Colombian Santiago Botero, winner of the 155-km sixth stage from Albertville to Morzine, none of the leading contenders for next month's Tour de France was able to threaten Armstrong.

"I feel better from what I've seen as nobody was able to attack without faltering," the six-times Tour de France champion told reporters after finishing seventh in Saturday's stage.

Discovery Channel team leader Armstrong, who is fourth in the overall standings, finished in the same group as fellow American Levi Leipheimer and Kazakhstan's Alexander Vinokourov, who could both be among his Tour rivals.

The American also easily dropped former team mate Floyd Landis on the Joux-Plane climb, the most difficult of the day.

"I cannot say I felt comfortable even if it was better toward the end," said Armstrong.

"For most of the first part of the stage I had to be content with following the pace. Then it went better and better.

"In Joux-Plane, I tried to follow my own tempo without getting excited. It's not easy because I haven't climbed many mountains at race level this season.

"The Ventoux (on Thursday) was the first."

The fourth stage up the gruelling Ventoux was won by Vinokourov. Armstrong finished fourth.

"I don't yet have the punch and the stamina Vino or Levi have," said the American, adding the Dauphine had been especially hard this year.

"The man who designed this course was obviously in a bad mood."

Merckx wins fifth stage at Dauphine Libere, Armstrong in chasing pack

2005-06-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

Print Story - canada.com network:

Merckx wins fifth stage at Dauphine Libere, Armstrong in chasing pack

Canadian Press
Friday, June 10, 2005
Axel Merckx of Belgium celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 5th stage of the Dauphine Libere cycling race between Vaison-La-Romaine and Grenoble, southeastern France. Friday. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
GRENOBLE, France (AP) - Axel Merckx won the fifth stage of the Dauphine Libere cycling race on Friday after a solo breakaway in the French Alps while six-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong stayed comfortably in the chasing pack to finish 23rd.
Merckx, the son of five-time Tour de France champion Eddy Merckx, finished two minutes 15 seconds ahead of second-place Inigo Landaluze in the 219-kilometre trek from Vaison-la-Romaine to Grenoble.

2005-06-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Armstrong stunned by Botero victory

Armstrong is playing the last poker game for the 7th TDF.

IOL: Armstrong stunned by Botero victory:

Armstrong stunned by Botero victory
Roanne, France - Lance Armstrong completed what he considered his first real test for the upcoming Tour de France by finishing third in the 47km time trial of the Dauphine Libere's third stage on Wednesday.
The race lead went to Gerolsteiner's Levi Leipheimer, who took over from Frenchman Samuel Dumoulin of the AG2R team but lost out on winning the race against the clock by just 01sec to Colombia's Santiago Botero.
The 33-year-old Armstrong finished behind the former world time trial champion from Medellin in what was considered a pre-Tour de France battle between some of the possible contenders for the yellow jersey.

Floyd Landis - Botero's teamate at Phonak - took fourth place ahead of Kazakhstan's Alexandre Vinokourov, of T-Mobile.

Armstrong admitted it had been a hard slog
It meant three Americans finished in the top five behind South American winner Botero, and two of those - Leipheimer and Landis - were former members of Armstrong's former team, US Postal.

The time trial course featured only one climb, a 3.5km ascent at an average of six percent, although 155 riders had to contend with a strong headwind for the rest of the way.

Armstrong admitted it had been a hard slog, and that was before he knew he had finished well behind Botero.

"I started fast and hard. It was difficult. There was a climb then a downhill with a headwind too so it was very difficult to pedal in the downhill sections," said Armstrong.

"It was 100 percent effort all the way, but that's okay. Santiago Botero is a specialist. He rides good."

Botero, the 2002 world champion who is only beginning to regain his form after a barren couple of years at the T-Mobile team, stunned the field by posting a time of 1hr 00min 06secs.

Armstrong then came home with a deficit of 26secs to the 32-year-old while Leipheimer finished moments later.

Armstrong appears to be on form for his upcoming challenge on the Tour de France on July 2-24, and said he was not too disappointed with his efforts, which for the past six years have been handy in him winning the yellow jersey.

"I'm not overwhelmingly pleased but not too disappointed. I'm on schedule (for the Tour)," he added.

"I'm better than I was at the Tour of Georgia. I'm more comfortable on the bike. My position is better and my cadence is better.

"Today wasn't perfect but the overall sensation is good."

Still unaware of Botero's time, Armstrong added: "I was six seconds behind Botero at the second checkpoint but if I was 30

seconds behind him at the finish line then that would be a little disappointing."

Botero's convincing finish might prove worrying to Armstrong on paper, although the Colombian said his yellow jersey aims this July were minimal.

"My main objective for the Tour is to win stages, and the time trial of course," said the Colombian, who explained his lack of results in the past two years - and the suspicions which have followed his recent resurgence - by a combination of patience and help.

"I can understand people might have suspicions about me. I'm in the public eye and people are entitled to have their opinions, even suppositions.

"But all I can do is show what I can do on the bike. It's been a difficult two years for me but thanks to patience and support from my family and friends I feel back on top of things."

Leipheimer, who finished third on the Tour of Spain a few years ago, admitted it will be a hard slog to the finish on Sunday, beginning with the 182km fourth stage which climbs to the summit of Mont Ventoux.

"I'm not putting any pressure on myself, it's day by day for me," said Leipheimer, who is nonetheless in the running for a shot at the Tour de France podium. - Sapa-AFP

2005-06-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

IOL: Armstrong ready for his day of reckoning

Armstrong ready for his day of reckoning
Chauffailles - Lance Armstrong admitted that Wednesday's 47km time trial on the Dauphine Libere would be his first big test ahead of his bid for a seventh consecutive yellow jersey on the Tour de France.
Armstrong, a two-time winner of the Dauphine, is using the week-long stage race as a crucial preparation for next month's Tour - which will be his final race before retiring from the sport.
The American finished with the main peloton more than three minutes behind four glory-seeking Frenchmen on Tuesday's 187km stage from Givors to here which robbed his Discovery Channel team-mate George Hincapie of the race lead.

2005-06-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

Armstrong back with solid prologue

Armstrong has a plan ... and it's working.

CNN.com - Armstrong back with solid prologue - Jun 5, 2005: "Armstrong back with solid prologue

AIX-LES-BAINS, France -- Lance Armstrong served notice of improved form ahead of his bid for a seventh Tour de France win as he finished a solid fifth in the prologue stage of the Dauphine Libere on Sunday.

His Discovery Channel team-mate George Hincapie won the 7.9-kilometer test in Aix-Les-Bains from fellow American Levi Leipheimer. Armstrong was six seconds back."

2005-05-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

Sportsbook.com expects Lance Armstrong to retire with yellow jersey

Current odds:
Will Lance Armstrong Win the Tour de France Odds:
Yes : 5-6
No : 10-11

Sportsbook.com expects Lance Armstrong to retire with yellow jersey