Tour De France 2005 : No surprise - Armstrong blows away rivals, captures yellow jersey
No surprise
Armstrong blows away rivals, captures yellow jersey
Posted: Tuesday July 12, 2005 11:32AM; Updated: Tuesday July 12, 2005 2:26PMCOURCHEVEL, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong took a decisive step Tuesday toward a seventh consecutive Tour de France title, blowing away his main rivals in the first Alpine stage to regain the overall lead.
Armstrong did the damage on the punishing 13.8-mile climb to the ski station of Courchevel, eating up the ascent with ease while Jan Ullrich and other challengers grimaced in pain behind.
Spain's Alejandro Valverde won the 10th stage, just beating Armstrong to the finish line, but is not considered one of Armstrong's main rivals in this year's race. Valverde and Armstrong finished the 110.9-mile stage in 4 hours, 50 minutes, 35 seconds.
Mickael Rasmussen is second in the overall standings, 38 seconds behind Armstrong. Ivan Basso, among the main challengers left behind by Armstrong on Tuesday, is third overall -- 2:40 behind the Texan.
Rasmussen finished the stage in third place, 9 seconds behind Valverde and Armstrong.
Valverde and Armstrong shook hands in the saddle after they crossed the line together.
'Today, I had good legs,' Armstrong said. 'We are in a good position with regards to some of the main rivals, so we'll have to protect that.'
His powerful ride silenced doubts that Armstrong is too old at 33, or too jaded after his record six victories,
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