| | Associated Press
COURCHEVEL, France -- Lance Armstrong moved closer to
winning his second consecutive Tour de France, and said his best is
yet to come.
Armstrong put on another superb display of mountain climbing in
the French Alps to finish fourth in the 15th stage Sunday to extend
his lead over Jan Ullrich from 4 minutes, 55 seconds to 7:26 heading into Monday's day of rest.
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The field gained no ground on Lance Armstrong on Sunday. |
A good performance in Tuesday's final mountain stage should
clinch a win for Armstrong, but the 28-year-old Texan still wants
to improve in the third and final week of the race.
"My form is not getting better," he said after Sunday's leg.
"Things are similar to last year, with a good first few days in
the mountains, then trying to maintain it.
"I still think my best day on this course is yet to come."
Armstrong finished 50 seconds behind stage winner Marco Pantani,
the 1998 Tour de France champion.
The shaven-headed Italian powered past Jose Maria Jimenez in the
final 1.8 miles of the 108-mile route from Briancon to Courchevel.
It was the second impressive 2000 Tour win for Pantani, who has
barely raced at the top level since being thrown out of the 1999
Giro D'Italia for failing a doping test.
Armstrong cruised past the line knowing that Ullrich and Joseba
Beloki, who finished third, were well-beaten.
With only one mountain stage left, there is little time for any
other rider to catch Armstrong, who again looked in imperious
climbing form.
After Monday's rest day, Armstrong just has to negotiate
Tuesday's 122-mile course from Courchevel to Morzine, near the
Swiss border, before the final flat stages to Paris.
Still, Armstrong, who battled back from cancer to win last
year's Tour, isn't taking anything for granted.
"The stage to Morzine is very difficult and I refuse to believe
that I have won the race until the very end. That is the attitude
that is the most intelligent and the most respectful."
Though shorter than Saturday's marathon 155-mile route from
Draguignan to Briancon, the 15th leg still had three tough summits
above 2,000 meters to challenge riders' climbing skills.
Riders had to deal with chilly winds and sporadic showers, but
for most of the journey north to Courchevel enjoyed sun and
comfortable temperatures of around 59 degrees.
Of the 180 riders that began the race two weeks ago, only 141
remained.
The two hardest ascents were at Col de Galibier and Col de la
Madeleine, before the final ascent up the Category 1 climb of
Courchevel. A group of five riders led the charge up the final
ascent.
In the final nine miles, Armstrong and Pantani chased the
leaders while Ullrich fell behind.
Ullrich, who has suffered from weight and fitness problems this
year, again struggled badly on climbs and finished 15th, 3:21
behind the winner.
"I was feeling good on Madeleine, but when Pantani attacked I
had no strength left," said Ullrich, the 1997 Tour de France
champion. "I am lucky still to be second." | |
ALSO SEE
Stage Fifteen results
Pantani and Armstrong keep things interesting
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Marco Pantani powers his way to win Stage 15.
avi: 1238 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Stage 15 course map
RealVideo: 28.8
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