| | Associated Press
MONT VENTOUX, France -- Lance Armstrong lost by inches to
Italy's Marco Pantani in the toughest stage of the Tour de France on Thursday but strengthened his overall lead.
Pantani edged the defending champion from Austin, Texas, after a
fierce two-man battle over the final punishing miles up Mont
Ventoux.
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Marco Pantani knows catching Lance Armstrong is no small task. |
Both Pantani, the 1998 Tour champion, and Armstrong were timed
in 4 hours, 15 minutes, 11 seconds for the 93-mile 12th stage from
Carpentras to Mont Ventoux.
Spain's Joseba Beloki was third, 25 seconds behind. Jan Ullrich
of Germany, Armstrong's main rival, was fourth in the stage.
Armstrong is strongest in the mountains and Thursday's result
meant that he tightened his grip on the overall lead in the
21-stage race, which finishes in Paris on July 23.
Thursday's stage was perhaps the most eagerly awaited of the
three-week competition. The final climb is unforgiving.
Just 14 miles from the finish line, riders are only 900 feet
above sea level; by the end, they are at an altitude of almost
6,300 feet.
The riders had a day of rest on Wednesday and most of them spent
their time trying to figure out how to stop Armstrong, who was
building a nearly insurmountable lead.
At the start of the 12th stage, the 28-year-old Texan led the
three-week race by 4:14. His stunning performance at
Lourdes-Hautacam, which earned him the yellow jersey emblematic of
first place on Monday, seems to have knocked the confidence out of
his main challengers.
"Armstrong is on another planet," Pantani said. "He pushed me
to the limit when I wanted to follow him."
Ullrich's strategy is to stay within striking distance of
Armstrong and attack in the 19th stage, a time trial that starts in
the German town of Fribourg.
"Armstrong is very strong, but I hope to do something in the
time trial in Fribourg on routes that I know well," the 1997 Tour
winner said.
But top sprinter Erik Zabel doesn't seem to have too much hope
for Ullrich, his teammate with Deutsche Telekom.
"For our team, it has been a really good Tour de France," he
said. "Ullrich is doing well to be second, and we are happy. We
are four minutes behind, but Armstrong is a great champion and is
really impressive."
He preserved his energy until the 10th stage, when a stunning
climb to Lourdes-Hautacam saw him storm past tour rivals Ullrich,
Pantani and Alex Zulle to take the yellow jersey.
The only spark of hope for his rivals that day was the lack of
support from U.S. Postal riders on the final climb.
"Armstrong's team looks less commanding and unified than last
year," said Frenchman Christophe Moreau, who started Thursday in
third place, 5:10 behind. "Lance was quickly isolated in the
Pyrenees and that could make the difference in the tour."
That was a theme taken up by Walter Godefroot, Telekom's
sporting director. "There are two ways to beat Armstrong, by him
reducing his level or us isolating him so he has to work on his
own."
Richard Virenque, who has won the King of the Mountains prize in
four of the last five years, hopes for some help from the elements.
"He likes the rain and the cold, and so far he has got it,"
Virenque said. "We need to wait for some heat to see him less
strong."
The tour's 12th leg, a 93-mile course from Carpentras to Mont
Ventoux, is perhaps the most eagerly awaited of the three-week
competition.
Conventional wisdom among team managers is that the rider who
emerged as leader at Ventoux, 62 miles north of Marseille, will be
wearing the yellow jersey on the final dash along the Champs
Elysees.
Mont Ventoux's special place in Tour history added spice to the
stage.
The peak has witnessed some of the 97-year-old race's greatest
climbing -- and one of its greatest tragedies.
In 1967, British cyclist Tom Simpson, cheered on by fans under a
burning sun, collapsed and died near the peak. Tests showed his
blood contained amphetamines, a stark reminder that drug problems
are nothing new to cycling.
A keen student of the sport's history, Armstrong knew the stage
was special.
"I have heard the stories of Ventoux. I know about how Tom
Simpson lost his life there, and have been there many times in
training," Armstrong said. "The place doesn't look like anything
else. It looks more like the moon than the mountains.
"The strangest thing is that it feels different than other
climbs. There is no air, perhaps because there is no vegetation. It
is a strange place."
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ALSO SEE
Stage Twelve results
Armstrong conquers Mont Ventoux
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Marco Pantani just edges out Lance Armstrong to win Stage 12.
avi: 2354 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Lance Armstrong appreciates the fan support.
wav: 448 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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