Hard day's ride

Armstrong suffers in bid for fifth Tour win

L'ALPE D'HUEZ, France (Reuters) -- Four-times Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong donned the yellow jersey for the first time this year on Sunday but said he had suffered and his team made mistakes during the eighth stage.

Armstrong took over as race leader following a third-placed finish on the 219-km stage won by Spaniard Iban Mayo, but lacked his usual domination as he was sorely tested by his rivals.

"I don't know but perhaps I'm not as strong as the other years," said the 31-year-old American.

"Every year is different. I had some issues at the start of this race which were not ideal," said Armstrong, who suffered from gastro-enteritis before the Tour.

"But if you had told me I would suffer like this in l'Alpe d'Huez, I would have said 'No way'," he added.

On the 21 turns of the arduous final climb, the Texan was forced to control his rivals, unlike the previous four years, when he had always attacked and humbled the opposition on his way to victory.

For the U.S. Postal team leader, a record-equalling fifth victory could well be the hardest to earn.

"It was no bluff today. It was a hard day, with a lot of attacks. I did not have the best sensations, the best legs, and it was no bluffing," he said.

"The tactics were interesting. The others were on me instead of controlling the other riders. It's my job to control the attacks," he said.

"I did not feel too well in the Galibier (climb) and from that point, it was my decision to ride a conservative race. I decided to let Mayo go and to control (Spaniard Joseba) Beloki," he said.

Tactical errors

He complained his leading rivals, like Beloki, who was second last year, did not chase Mayo when the Euskaltel team leader made his decisive move.

"If Mayo does that everyday, he's going to pass them," Armstrong said.

The American said his team had made tactical mistakes during the stage. Usually, the Texan launches his U.S. Postal "blue train" in the first meters of a climb to try and drop his rivals.

But Spanish teammate Manuel Beltran tackled l'Alpe d'Huez at such a pace that he even dropped other U.S. Postal riders.

"Beltran is new to the team and he's not used to our system. A fast tempo is alright but this was supersonic," Armstrong said.

As a result, the American found himself out on his own sooner than expected and had to do all the hard work when Beloki or fellow-American Tyler Hamilton threatened him.

Armstrong was at least happy to have dropped some of the pre-Tour favorites.

Giro winner Gilberto Simoni and Vuelta champion Aitor Gonzalez had both claimed they would mount a challenge.

"Simoni has now realized that the Giro is not the Tour. Gonzalez has now realized that the Vuelta is not the Tour. They could both be a factor in this race -- but not this year," he said.

Mayo plays down Tour challenge after L'Alpe d'Huez win

L'ALPE D'HUEZ, France (Reuters) -- Spain's Iban Mayo, who achieved a dream by winning the classic finish at l'Alpe d'Huez on Sunday in the Tour de France's centenary year, played down his chances of overall victory.

"I had set my sights on this stage. It was a dream to win in l'Alpe d'Huez," said the 27-year-old Basque rider, only the second Spaniard to win in the Alpine resort after Federico Echave in 1987.

"This is already a lot. We may go for a podium. But to go for overall victory is not something I had prepared myself to do.

"It will be difficult. I will above all try to stay with the best and we'll see what happens," he added.

Mayo had already thrown down the gauntlet to Armstrong in the Dauphine Libere race a month ago, outshining him in the mountains.

But his attitude at the finish in l'Alpe d'Huez confirmed his claim that he was not looking for overall success as he lost precious seconds looking around and enjoying his win instead of sprinting to the line.

"I wanted to enjoy this victory, to take full advantage of it, to make the best of the present moment without making calculations," he said.

Armstrong will surely make calculations from now on, with Mayo lying third overall, only 1:10 behind him.

"Today, he let me go because he knew I was far in the overall standings. From now on, I'm afraid he won't let me have my say," he said.

The winner of the Tour of the Basque country admitted a second stage victory in his native Pyrenees, particularly in Luz-Ardiden, the second finish at altitude in the race, would please him.

"To win in Luz-Ardiden would be very moving. But I first really wanted to win in l'Alpe d'Huez because it's a mythical stage," he said.

Armstrong's Tour rivals go on the attack

L'ALPE D'HUEZ, France (Reuters) -- Lance Armstrong's main rivals in the Tour de France showed they were a force to be reckoned with as they tested the four-time winner's dominance in Sunday's eighth stage.

Armstrong took over as race leader after a third-placed finish, but constant attacks by American Tyler Hamilton, Spaniard Joseba Beloki and Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov on the long final climb forced him onto the defensive.

All three finished in the same time as Armstrong, two minutes and 12 seconds behind stage winner Iban Mayo of Spain, to leave the race wide open.

Beloki is second overall, 40 seconds behind Armstrong, Vinokourov fourth, 1:17 adrift, and Hamilton sixth, 1:52 behind.

Beloki, runner-up last year, made several attempts to leave Armstrong behind on the final stretches of the climb to L'Alpe d'Huez.

"I said I'd attack and I did. Today I showed I can attack and I'm going to do it again whenever I can. Everybody wanted to see an angry Joseba Beloki and that's what they got," the Spaniard said.

"I struggled yesterday on the stage to Morzine and that's why I stayed in the middle of the main group but today was very different. This won't be the last time I take the race to Armstrong. I'm going to attack him again and again."

Hamilton, who broke his collarbone in the first stage last Sunday and lost time in Wednesday's team time trial, said he was determined to stay in the Tour despite the pain.

"I'm happy with how things went because I again didn't lose any time to Lance Armstrong or my other rivals," Hamilton said.

"My shoulder hurt a lot today. It was okay when we were riding steady and I was sat on the saddle but it really hurts when I have to stand on the pedals and accelerate."

Hamilton said Armstrong was still the man to beat.

"I know Armstrong looked like he wasn't very strong today but I don't think he was at his limit," Hamilton said.

"He didn't have a great day but I think he let Mayo go clear and win the stage because he knows that he isn't a threat for overall victory. Lance is still the big favorite to win this Tour."

 

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