Armstrong closes in on win
Associated Press
SAINT-AMAND-MONTROND, France — Just when Lance Armstrong's rivals thought they had seen it all, he shifted up a gear yesterday to win a Tour de France stage and draw yet closer to a third straight title.
Associated Press
"That was an effort that we've never seen before," he said after winning the individual time trial between Montlucon and this town in central France. "I think that I'm at the highest level of my career."
Lance Armstrong won yesterday's stage of the Tour de France. He is on the verge of winning his third straight title.
Armstrong's main rival, Jan Ullrich of Germany, remained second overall. But the Texan's advantage grew to 6 minutes, 44 seconds, a huge margin with only two flat stages remaining before tomorrow's finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
He won last year's race with a 6:02 lead over Ullrich, and finished 7:37 ahead of Switzerland's Alex Zuelle in 1999.
Barring sickness or accident, Armstrong is certain to become the first American to win three consecutive Tour titles. He won his first title after an extraordinary comeback from testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain.
Having won three stages entering yesterday and holding a healthy lead in the standings, Armstrong didn't need to win yesterday's 18th stage.
He recorded a stunning time of 1 hour, 14 minutes, 16 seconds in the 38-mile stage, slashing 1:24 off the day's previous best set by Spain's Igor Gonzalez Galdeano.
Ullrich trailed by 1:39 and finished the stage in third place, behind Armstrong and Gonzalez Galdeano.
"It's not over," Armstrong warned. "I have to be smart, to be safe. I would hate to have a problem tomorrow or the last day. But if you do have a problem and you crash and hurt something or don't finish, then you lose the race."
Armstrong grimaced as he crossed the finish line on a humid day in which temperatures were 86 degrees.
