Inside The Tour

Armstrong one Tour from greatness

Lance Armstrong rolled into Paris to take his fourth Tour win in brilliant style -- he only needs one more to join the legends of the biggest race in the world, says Cycling Weekly magazine.

REMEMBER the Luxembourg prologue?

After just seven kilometers of racing Lance Armstrong was already in yellow,and giving out clear signals that just like every Tour de France since 1999,the 2002 race was going to belong to him as well.

There have been doubts along the way, caused by delays in crashes and unexpected defeats in long time trials. But the US Postal leader has always said that the Tour is won in the mountains, and it was in the Pyrenees where he stamped his authority on the race thanks to two consecutive stage wins and roared back into yellow once more.

The rest of the race has effectively been an extension of the traditional victory parade that pulled down the curtain on the Tour on Sunday in the bright sunshine of the Champs-Elysées.

Adding another 45 seconds onto his lead at La Plagne and then returning to top spot in the final time trial were convenient ways of reminding the peloton that Armstrong might be tucked away at the end of the line of US Postal riders,but he could produce some mighty performances if provoked.

But after two weeks of being dragged around France by US Postal’s blue train, come the Alps most of the peloton were in no mood to do so.

ONCE’s Joseba Beloki, the runner-up this year after two third places, is now convinced he can beat Armstrong “some time in the future”, but rather wisely refuses to specify when.

Beloki’s third podium place in three Tours is a worthy result for the Basque, but worrying, perhaps,when it comes to looking for potential rivals to take on Armstrong in future years. Even the American must be getting a teeny bit bored now, as July after July his domination remains largely unquestioned and unchallenged.

Lampre’s Raimondas Rumsas appeared to be a possible challenger, but the current police investigations into the Lithuanian and his wife after his podium place are hardly the best way for him to start his Tour career.

Whether Rumsas is found guilty or innocent, the police search of one team’s rooms on the last night of the Tour left a slightly bitter taste in the mouth, particularly after no doping stories had emerged during the race.

However,it is a timely reminder that cycling’s fight against doping has to continue.

Easy streets

The fourth of the five steps Armstrong needs to take to join Miguel Indurain, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault as a five-times Tour winner has been the smoothest of all the races for the Texan, and as a consequence one of the least interesting for the public as far as the overall classification has been concerned.

Having said that, the other great moments of the race -- the Robbie McEwen-Erik Zabel battle, David Millar’s stage win, Michael Boogerd’s lone ride to victory at La Plagne, Richard Virenque on Mont Ventoux, Laurent Jalabert’s last Tour, the team time trial -- have meant Armstrong’s superiority could be forgotten at times.

This is what makes la Grande Boucle so grande of course: the event really is bigger than any rider who takes part, even one who has won the Tour four times and is now nicely set up for a fifth.

Cycling Weekly is Britain's best selling cycling magazine with unrivaled coverage of UK and international bike racing. To save up to 25 percent on a Cycling Weekly subscription click here.

 

Related information

Stories

Cycling Weekly: Inside the Tour 2002 Tour de France Index

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video