Armstrong shows strength in French Alps

Armstrong shows strength in French Alps
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-13 20:48

With the toughest Alpine stage of the Tour de France looming, Lance Armstrong has his team in gear and the leader's yellow jersey on his back. Armstrong took a giant step toward a seventh consecutive Tour victory with a dominant ride on the first Alpine climb of the race Tuesday, reclaiming the overall lead and distancing himself from his main rivals.

The six-time Tour champion finished second to Spain's Alejandro Valverde in the 10th stage, a 111-mile trek up to the ski resort of Courchevel in a sprint to the line. Along the way, Armstrong built a 38-second overall lead and moved well ahead of challengers Alexandre Vinokourov, Jan Ullrich and Andreas Kloeden.

Valverde and Armstrong completed the stage in 4 hours, 50 minutes, 35 seconds.

After the stage, the Texan shot back at doubters who suggested his Discovery Team might be vulnerable after struggling in a moderately difficult stage Saturday.

"To say the guy who has won the Tour de France six times is lucky to take the jersey again ... how you can say those things I have no idea," Armstrong said. "That's not respectful, that's not true, and that's not reality."

Armstrong looked to continue his dominance over rivals in Wednesday's 11th stage, which took riders on another strenuous ascent into the Alps. The 108-mile trek from Courchevel to Briancon featured three mammoth climbs, including the famed Col de la Madeleine and the Col du Galibier.

Tuesday's second-place finish was fine for Armstrong, especially behind a 25-year-old rider he says could be the next big thing in cycling after he retires at the end of this Tour.

Equally important is the advantage over his rivals.

Vinokourov is 6 minutes, 32 seconds behind Armstrong, Ullrich is 4:02 down and Kloeden 4:16 back. Italian Ivan Basso, third on last year's Tour, limited the damage to 2:40.

"I don't think they're finished. I suspect they had a bad day today," Armstrong said. "I'm the last person to write them off. They may have lost some time, but we will continue to watch them and respect them."

How they will catch Armstrong is another matter.

"We are in a good position with regard to some of the main rivals," Armstrong said. "So we'll have to protect that and that might mean protecting the jersey and hopefully retiring in it."

Johan Bruyneel, the Discovery Team director, said criticism of the team angered his riders, and he was delighted with their response.

"After what everybody said that the team was not good, I think that today that they showed they know their job," Bruyneel said. "And that they are there when they have to be."

In the late stages Tuesday after Armstrong forged ahead, about 450 yards from the finish, he looked to favorite to win. But Valverde countered, catching and passing Armstrong at the line.

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

Mickael Rasmussen crossed the finish line third and Spain's Francisco Mancebo was fourth, both 9 seconds back. Along with Valverde, they were the only riders who managed to stay with Armstrong on the final ascent.

Overall, Armstrong leads Rasmussen by 38 seconds. While he doesn't regard himself as a challenger to Armstrong, the Dane has shown himself enough of a threat on climbs — he won the ninth stage with a gutsy solo ride over six ascents.

Ullrich, the 1997 winner and a five-time runner-up, dropped behind about halfway up the climb. Ullrich, who crashed in the ninth stage, finished 13th, 2:14 back.

The biggest surprise was the collapse of Vinokourov, another Ullrich teammate from Kazakhstan who had been expected to seriously challenge Armstrong but trailed Tuesday by 5:18 and was in 24th place.

At the Dauphine Libere race last month, "Vino" had beaten Armstrong by 37 seconds up the Mont Ventoux ascent — making Tuesday's struggle even more surprising.