07-19-2002, 10:41 PM
Lance
Armstrong was so far ahead and so relaxed after a
grueling final climb Friday that he even had time to
zip up the bright yellow jersey worn by the leader of
the Tour de France.
A fourth straight title now seems almost as easy to
secure.
Continuing the amazing run of mountain wins he began when he returned
from cancer to take his first title in 1999, Armstrong sprinted ahead of his
rivals in the 12th stage and more than doubled his overall race lead.
But the Texan wasn't claiming victory yet.
``I don't celebrate a victory before the final lap on the Champs-Elysees,''
he said. ``One bad day, and you can lose everything.''
Four more mountain stages, two of them exceptionally difficult, still await
riders.
Yet it was hard to see how anything, barring illness or injury, could prevent
Armstrong from keeping the yellow jersey all the way to the July 28 finish
in Paris.
His rivals are far behind. Spain's Joseba Beloki, Armstrong's biggest
challenger, trailed by nearly 2 1/2 minutes in the race standings after
Friday's stage in the Pyrenees. He was unlikely to improve his performance
enough to stop Armstrong.
As he pedaled in the last climb to the Plateau de Beille, the U.S. Postal
Service rider reached down to zip up his yellow jersey, which had been
open to below the chest for much of the hot, sunny stage.
``I know this climb very well. It's the nearest mountain pass to my home,''
said Armstrong, who spends much of the year in Gerona, Spain. He
clocked 6 hours and 29 seconds in the 123.69-mile stretch that began in
Lannemezan.
Armstrong has held the yellow jersey since Thursday, when he won the
Tour's opening mountain leg.
That victory ended speculation, raised by his second-place showing in
Monday's time trial, that Armstrong was weaker this year. Friday's win
confirmed that he's likely to take a fourth title.
The record is five. Four riders -- Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault of
France, Eddy Merckx of Belgium, and Spain's Miguel Indurain -- have taken
the title five times, and only Indurain won all five consecutively.
Armstrong won his first title less than three years after being diagnosed
with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. He
was given a 40 percent chance of survival, and underwent brain surgery
and chemotherapy.
Already a world-class cyclist before he fell ill in 1996, Armstrong blew his
competitors away when he returned to the Tour in 1999 after making a full
recovery, and repeated a year later.
Last year, four stage victories were enough to seal the title for Armstrong,
who established a whopping lead of 6:44 over his archrival, Jan Ullrich. The
German, who is absent from this year's Tour because of injury, was so
thoroughly dominated that he acknowledged defeat with a whole week of
racing to go.
At the time, Armstrong said he felt at his best level yet. There were no weak
moments, such as the one he experienced at the 2000 Tour when he lost
power in the last major mountain stage.
Yet before the start of this year's race, the 30-year-old Armstrong said he
felt stronger even than in 2001.
He will have another chance to prove it when the race heads to Mont
Ventoux in the southern Vaucluse region on Sunday.
``I regard it as the hardest climb this year,''
Armstrong said.
Two years ago, he could have won at Mont
Ventoux, but pulled back in the finishing stretch
to let Marco Pantani win, calling the decision a
``gift'' to the charismatic Italian. Pantani said he
felt insulted.
``If I'm in front, I won't make the same mistake again,'' Armstrong said
Friday.
The toughest stage of the Tour will probably be Wednesday's 16th leg
from Les Deux Alpes to La Plagne. It features three exceptionally difficult
climbs, including the ascent to the finish. The two remaining mountain
stages are less grueling than Mont Ventoux or La Plagne.
Armstrong is expected to perform well in the second-to-last stage, a time
trial. In past years, he has been the only rider strong enough to set a fast
pace in time trials that come after the mountains.
The final stage is a flat 89-mile stretch from Melun to the Champs-Elysees in
Paris, which is usually little more than a victory lap for the yellow
jersey-wearer.
Armstrong says there will be no letup from his team until the title is secure.
``We have to ride as fast as possible,'' he said. ``We have a lot of racing
to go.''
Armstrong was so far ahead and so relaxed after a
grueling final climb Friday that he even had time to
zip up the bright yellow jersey worn by the leader of
the Tour de France.
A fourth straight title now seems almost as easy to
secure.
Continuing the amazing run of mountain wins he began when he returned
from cancer to take his first title in 1999, Armstrong sprinted ahead of his
rivals in the 12th stage and more than doubled his overall race lead.
But the Texan wasn't claiming victory yet.
``I don't celebrate a victory before the final lap on the Champs-Elysees,''
he said. ``One bad day, and you can lose everything.''
Four more mountain stages, two of them exceptionally difficult, still await
riders.
Yet it was hard to see how anything, barring illness or injury, could prevent
Armstrong from keeping the yellow jersey all the way to the July 28 finish
in Paris.
His rivals are far behind. Spain's Joseba Beloki, Armstrong's biggest
challenger, trailed by nearly 2 1/2 minutes in the race standings after
Friday's stage in the Pyrenees. He was unlikely to improve his performance
enough to stop Armstrong.
As he pedaled in the last climb to the Plateau de Beille, the U.S. Postal
Service rider reached down to zip up his yellow jersey, which had been
open to below the chest for much of the hot, sunny stage.
``I know this climb very well. It's the nearest mountain pass to my home,''
said Armstrong, who spends much of the year in Gerona, Spain. He
clocked 6 hours and 29 seconds in the 123.69-mile stretch that began in
Lannemezan.
Armstrong has held the yellow jersey since Thursday, when he won the
Tour's opening mountain leg.
That victory ended speculation, raised by his second-place showing in
Monday's time trial, that Armstrong was weaker this year. Friday's win
confirmed that he's likely to take a fourth title.
The record is five. Four riders -- Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault of
France, Eddy Merckx of Belgium, and Spain's Miguel Indurain -- have taken
the title five times, and only Indurain won all five consecutively.
Armstrong won his first title less than three years after being diagnosed
with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. He
was given a 40 percent chance of survival, and underwent brain surgery
and chemotherapy.
Already a world-class cyclist before he fell ill in 1996, Armstrong blew his
competitors away when he returned to the Tour in 1999 after making a full
recovery, and repeated a year later.
Last year, four stage victories were enough to seal the title for Armstrong,
who established a whopping lead of 6:44 over his archrival, Jan Ullrich. The
German, who is absent from this year's Tour because of injury, was so
thoroughly dominated that he acknowledged defeat with a whole week of
racing to go.
At the time, Armstrong said he felt at his best level yet. There were no weak
moments, such as the one he experienced at the 2000 Tour when he lost
power in the last major mountain stage.
Yet before the start of this year's race, the 30-year-old Armstrong said he
felt stronger even than in 2001.
He will have another chance to prove it when the race heads to Mont
Ventoux in the southern Vaucluse region on Sunday.
``I regard it as the hardest climb this year,''
Armstrong said.
Two years ago, he could have won at Mont
Ventoux, but pulled back in the finishing stretch
to let Marco Pantani win, calling the decision a
``gift'' to the charismatic Italian. Pantani said he
felt insulted.
``If I'm in front, I won't make the same mistake again,'' Armstrong said
Friday.
The toughest stage of the Tour will probably be Wednesday's 16th leg
from Les Deux Alpes to La Plagne. It features three exceptionally difficult
climbs, including the ascent to the finish. The two remaining mountain
stages are less grueling than Mont Ventoux or La Plagne.
Armstrong is expected to perform well in the second-to-last stage, a time
trial. In past years, he has been the only rider strong enough to set a fast
pace in time trials that come after the mountains.
The final stage is a flat 89-mile stretch from Melun to the Champs-Elysees in
Paris, which is usually little more than a victory lap for the yellow
jersey-wearer.
Armstrong says there will be no letup from his team until the title is secure.
``We have to ride as fast as possible,'' he said. ``We have a lot of racing
to go.''