Posted on 07/07/2009 10:21:42 AM PDT by americanophile
MONTPELLIER, France (AP) — Lance Armstrong surged within a second of the Tour de France lead after his Astana squad won Tuesday's team time trial in a dramatic finish.
Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara of the Saxo Bank team narrowly kept the yellow jersey lead following the fourth stage, a 24.2-mile ride in and around Montpellier.
Astana needed to beat Saxo Bank by more than 40 seconds for Armstrong to take the yellow jersey. The seven-time champion started the stage in third place, and Astana exactly matched that 40-second deficit. Cancellara's team finished third.
"That's Swiss timing," Cancellara said, laughing. "Time is on my side."
Armstrong credited his teammates but acknowledged he had hoped to move in front.
"This is a little bit of a disappointment," he said. "That's cycling."
The 37-year-old Texan said the many tight turns along the course made for "tricky" riding. Three crashes marred the start of the stage, including one involving Giro d'Italia winner Denis Menchov.
The U.S. team Garmin was second in the stage, 18 seconds after Astana, despite only five of the nine riders being able to keep up the pace.
Armstrong and Cancellara share an overall time of 10 hours, 38 minutes, 7 seconds, although the Swiss rider is technically considered a second ahead.
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WOW!!!
He’s 1 in 6 billion. We’ll never see the likes of him again.
The French are probably already trying to think of ways to get Lance disqualified.
WOW! Take that Frenchy..........Go Lance Armstrong
Never understood why there are so many Lance haters here.
Who cares? The only Tour de France that accomplished anything of value was the one that began on June 6, 1944.
And they haven’t even reached the Pyrenees yet. That is where he usually pulls away.
This thing is over.
Me neither.
Right. Cancellara is a sprinter/time trial specialist and not considered a contender in the GC. Armstrong and Astana is in exceptional shape with 4 of the top 5 in the GC. This thing has a long way to go and will be decided in the mountains. It almost always is...
He’s 1 in 6 billion. We’ll never see the likes of him again.
Let’s hope not. I can’t stand him. Leaves wife for girlfriend...Wife has three kids at home while he cheats...I just can’t believe how some Free Republic members are not family values. It is becoming this way more and more. Very Sad!!! Our heroes should not be cheaters!!!!!
After following Lance for many years, I’d be tempted to make the same prediction — barring a crash, Lance will win. He appears to have a very strong team. OTOH, he’s 37 and the French have so much as said that they are out to nail him with drug tests. Either age or French vendetta could still take him out.
5 Americans in the top 17 in the GC right now. I think there’s one Frenchman in the top 50 and he’s like 46th place.
Where are the facts on that? Last I heard in Kristen Armstongs book it was her that left because she felt like she needed to be more fulfilled in her own right and not in the shadow of a famous husband...
Show me where he was the cheater.
They've never stopped.
Not at all what happened. What happened was that his wife didn't like living in the mansion in Spain that he bought for them to live in during the six months of the year that is the racing season. She wanted him to quit doing the thing that he was the best in the world at, the thing that them wealthy beyond belief, the thing that, at best, he was only going to do another ten years. She wanted him to give all that up and stay home with her because she didn't like traveling.
As for the "Leaves wife for girlfriend," Lance didn't start dating Sheryl Crow until nearly a year after the divorce was announced.
Go Lance!
How dare you let facts get in the way of good a old fashioned Lance bashing post............
They tried to disqualify him before the Tour started, but that didn't work out for them.
Oh my goodness. Are you serious? You mean that he picked his career over his wife and you think that is ok???? No way!!!! Sorry but when he retires from biking his wife would have still been there. Now his kids are raised in a single mother household and he continues to bike. I am sorry but that is not at all a good excuse for breaking your vows. What a shelfish turd. He had plenty of money to support the family for the rest of his life. Sorry just don’t like the guy and now I don’t like him even more...
In other words, her selfishness is okay, but his isn't.
Sorry but when he retires from biking his wife would have still been there.
Only if he retired in 2002, when she made her demand that he quit racing. She made it clear she wasn't going to wait until his career reached its natural end. And if it matters, the gossip in Austin was that she was the one having an affair while he was off in Europe.
Now his kids are raised in a single mother household and he continues to bike.
Oh, give me a break. He's home six months of the year and lives across the street from his ex.
am sorry but that is not at all a good excuse for breaking your vows.
And what's her excuse?
What a shelfish turd.
Kristen? I agree. Oh, you mean Lance.
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