Armstrong Puts Stamp on Alps

Texan Adds to Lead, Nears 6th Tour Win

L'ALPE D'HUEZ, France, July 21 -- Lance Armstrong conquered L'Alpe d'Huez, the Tour de France, and very likely history Wednesday with a furious assault that earned him another impressive stage victory on cycling's most legendary climb.

Starting last of 157 riders, an advantage accorded him as the Tour's overall leader, Armstrong ignited at the start of the time trial in Bourg-d'Oisans and only accelerated further over the next 9.6 lung- and leg-searing miles.

By the first time check, he already was far ahead of all would-be contenders -- 40 seconds faster than Jan Ullrich -- and more than a minute faster than Andreas Kloden. By the next time check, his margin over the two Germans had grown greater.

Well before the finish, he caught Italy's Ivan Basso, who had begun two minutes earlier. Basso had been the one rider still considered capable of overtaking Armstrong by the Tour's conclusion in Paris.

Until Wednesday.

This day, the 32-year-old Texan -- cancer survivor and five-time Tour champion -- came ever-closer to adding one more title to his name: Invincible.

"I'm real careful about counting to the number six," Armstrong said. "I'll do that on the final lap on the Champs-Elysees."

The reference was to Sunday's final stage. Barring accident or injury, Armstrong will become the first cyclist in the 101-year history of this storied race to win six times.

"The Tour de France is over, baby!" one-time Tour racer Alex Stieda of Canada exulted as the champion shot by, teeth bared, soaked in sweat, standing out of his saddle, about 150 meters from the finish.

Until then, Armstrong almost made it look easy, powering down on his pedals so smoothly and relentlessly that he might as well have been spinning in a gym back home.

The thousands gathered near the finish roared their approval. They banged on the long barriers keeping them off the roadway, blew horns, waved flags -- a few of them Stars and Stripes.

Armstrong's time of 39 minutes 41 seconds put him 61 seconds ahead of Ullrich for the day and 3:48 beyond Basso's reach in the overall standings. As he moved past Basso during the climb -- Armstrong stared straight ahead as the Italian turned toward him briefly on a straightaway -- the American's focus never wavered.

"That is incredibly motivating for a rider when you see you're catching somebody," Armstrong said. "I have a ton of respect for Ivan. I think he's the biggest threat in the race. I think he's the brightest future for the Tour."

The message that sent to the rest of the field, said Australian Robbie McEwen, who won two stages of this event in 2002, was, "I'm on my way to number six and there's nothing much you can do about it."