Tour De France 2005 : Armstrong Climbs Back Into Lead
Armstrong Climbs Back Into Lead
Defending champ overpowers rivals in mountains
By Joe 'Lindsey, Contributing Writer
July 12, 2005When Lance Armstrong (Discovery Channel) gave up the yellow jersey following Sunday�s ninth stage of the Tour de France, he planned on getting it back. He followed through today with a textbook-perfect ride on the 10th stage, from Grenoble to Courchevel, and in so doing dispatched nearly all of his main rivals to significant time gaps.
The only racers who could ultimately hold the American�s wheel were a trio of climbers: King of the Mountains leader Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), and the Illes Balears duo of Alejandro Valverde and Francisco Mancebo. The four rode together up the final few kilometers of the Courchevel climb, where Valverde came around Armstrong for his first stage win, a considerable achievement given that this is his first-ever Tour de France.
�It was the first big day for our team,� said Armstrong, speaking of his team�s struggles in the eighth stage. �They�re a super team and set a great pace for me at the front of the climb. I had good legs today, but I want to say thanks to Rasmussen, Valverde, and Mancebo. Without them I might not have got the result I wanted.�
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