Armstrong is the WINNER !!!

[TripleB]

I may fill my pockets with thumbtacks and take a little lead right in front of Mr Armstrong and then dump my pockets....

You'd better be using plastic thumbtacks or you'd never catch him ..........

[KnightsRule]

You'd better be using plastic thumbtacks or you'd never catch him ..........

very true as I probably couldnt catch him on a motorcycle but every guy on the course could pass him for a few minutes as they are all world bikers.  The key is to stay ahead of him which is very difficult.

[E.T.]

Lance is just DOMINATING !!!

La Lance est juste DOMINANT !!!

F'U France !!!  8)

[E.T.]

Now let's kick it in High Gear Lance !

[Velcro]

is todays stage something different than the others?  it looks like everyone is starting in intervals... lance starting last... about to start now, others have been on the course for an hour.

[BULLO12]

is todays stage something different than the others?  it looks like everyone is starting in intervals... lance starting last... about to start now, others have been on the course for an hour.

It is the Sadie Hawkins French Stage.   You know opposite happens.

[Markeymark]

I think it's an individual time trial today.

[E.T.]

Armstrong Destroys Basso, Hits Out at Fans

By Francois Thomazeau

L'ALPE D'HUEZ, France (Reuters) - Lance Armstrong seized complete control of the Tour de France on Wednesday with an awesome display of power cycling to win the 9.6-mile individual time trial.

The American, bidding for a record sixth overall Tour victory, blasted round the 21 hairpins on the twisting climb to the Alpine ski resort in 39 minutes 41.47 seconds to annihilate his nearest rival Ivan Basso.

It was his third stage win on this year's Tour and came a day after he took over the yellow jersey with a stunning victory on the climb to Villard-de-Lans.

"There was a lot of emotion and adrenaline, this mountain is special for me and for the Tour," he said, before criticizing the behavior of some of the tens of thousands of fans lining the route.

"There were lots of fans, and it was a little scary. To me, sincerely, it was not a good idea to have a time trial at l'Alpe d'Huez. It's over now but a lot of German fans were just disgusting. C'est la vie...

"The crowds are always close on the climbs but I was lucky to get through today."

Italian Basso, one minute 25 seconds down at the start of the 16th stage and Armstrong's one serious rival, could only finish eighth, 2:23 behind, after being overtaken by Armstrong on the lung-busting climb.

"I was a little surprised. A spectator told me I was a minute ahead and I could not believe it," Armstrong added.

Basso retained his second place but is now 3:48 adrift and will need the American to crash or suffer an extraordinary collapse if he is to win the Tour.

Jan Ullrich, so often Armstrong's main challenger in recent years, was also impressive on the classic climb which attracted tens of thousands of fans to the high-altitude resort.

GRIMACING GERMAN

The grimacing German, the 1997 Tour champion, was second, a massive 61 seconds slower than the greatest rider of his generation. Ullrich is now fourth overall and in danger of missing the podium for the first time in his seven Tours.

His T-Mobile team mate and compatriot Andreas Kloeden was third, 1:41 behind, and now looks a serious threat to Basso for the second step on the podium on Sunday.

Kloeden will start Thursday's final 127-mile mountain stage to Le Grand Bornand 5:03 behind Armstrong who is the first rider to win in l'Alpe d'Huez with the yellow jersey on his back.

He is also the sixth rider to win twice at the top of one of the Tour's most famous climbs, having also won it in 2001.

But he narrowly failed to beat the late Marco Pantani's record for the climb proper -- the stage started one mile before the foot of the hill -- clocking 37:36 to the Italian's 37:35.

The only slight worry for Armstrong came before the start of the stage when it was found that his bike, which had been designed especially for the time trial, was too light by 180 grams.

His mechanics worked hard to fix the problem and he was finally allowed to use the bike by race stewards.

[E.T.]

1.  Lance Armstrong 67h 53m 24s  

2.  Ivan Basso 3:48 behind  

3.  Andreas Kloden 5:03  

4.  Jan Ullrich 7:55  

5.  Jose Azevedo 9:19  

6.  Francisco Mancebo 9:20  

7.  Georg Totschnig 11:34  

8.  Carlos Sastre 13:52  

9.  Pietro Caucchioli 14:08  

10.  Levi Leipheimer 15:04

[Velcro]

Barring Disaster... Armstrong locked up 6th tour win...

LE GRAND-BORNAND, France -- With an amazing final burst of speed, Lance Armstrong won the 17th stage of the Tour de France on Thursday, extending his overall lead as he marches toward a record sixth straight title.

The stage win was Armstrong's third in three days and fourth at this Tour -- matching his best from previous years. The Texan could get a fifth stage win at a time trial on Saturday.

Armstrong, distinctive in his overall leader's yellow jersey, launched himself into top gear within sight of the line to sprint past German champion Andreas Kloden, beating him by just inches at the line.

The win gave the five-time champion bonus seconds that extended his overall lead over Italian Ivan Basso.

German Jan Ullrich was third in the sprint, followed by Basso.