Armstrong Breaks Out

American Takes Tour de France Lead With Stage 15 Win

L'ALPE D'HUEZ, France, July 20 -- Perhaps they should move the finish line to the final hairpin turn of this famed French mountain, because if Lance Armstrong storms up its vertiginous slope Wednesday afternoon, as he seems almost destined to do, the 2004 Tour de France may effectively be over.

Barring injury or accident, the 32-year-old American appears just days from riding onto a stage all his own -- as the only cyclist to win the sport's most grueling competition six times.

He claimed the yellow jersey of race leader for the second time Tuesday, overtaking Thomas Voeckler in the overall standings during the 113-mile battle from Valreas to Villard-de-Lans in the Alps. The stage included a long-awaited break by Armstrong's German rival, Jan Ullrich, who eventually was caught by Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team and beaten by the Texan in a sprint to the finish that included Italy's Ivan Basso, who has emerged as the other major threat to Armstrong.

"There's something special in winning in a sprint," Armstrong said. "To win in a sprint for me is much more intense than being alone."

Armstrong earned his 61st yellow jersey as overall leader, third most in Tour history. Armstrong also wore yellow for one day after the team time trial July 7, but he ceded the lead to Voeckler the next day.

"It's exciting to take the yellow jersey, even if it's number 61 or however many. It's still a thrill," Armstrong said.

Basso was credited with the same finishing time, with Ullrich three seconds behind, and Andreas Kloden, Ullrich's T-Mobile teammate, six seconds back in fourth place.

Armstrong said his team manager, Johan Bruyneel, was yelling into his radio-linked earpiece that he had to beat Basso, whom he leads in the overall standings by 1 minutes 25 seconds.

"Johan was screaming in my ear that I had to win because of the time bonuses," Armstrong said. "Every second counts."

Kloden is third overall, 3:22 off Armstrong's pace. Voeckler dropped to eighth, 9:28 behind Armstrong.

Armstrong repeatedly has cautioned that the Tour never is over until the final sprint down the Champs-Elysees, which will come Sunday.

"It's not finished," he said. "Today wasn't easy."

Armstrong will begin Wednesday's potentially epic assault on the L'Alpe d'Huez with a relatively slim lead over Basso. This Stage 16 will be only a brief ride, a time trial in which each cyclist will race the clock for less than 10 miles.

But what a challenge they will face. After a short, flat stretch from Bourg d'Oisans, the road literally lifts skyward. Its tortuous grade over the next eight-plus miles averages nearly 8 percent. Between start and finish there are 21 curves so tight that on a map they look like a tangle of Silly String sprayed by a 4-year-old.