The Hindu : Sport / Cycling : Armstrong wins final time trial

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 24, 2005

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Sport - Cycling

Armstrong wins final time trial

SAINT-ETIENNE: : Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France's final time trial on Saturday, all but guaranteeing him a seventh consecutive race victory to round out a stellar career.

Armstrong finished the race against the clock with a 23-sec lead on Germany's 1997 winner Jan Ullrich. His T-Mobile teammate Alexandre Vinokourov finished third at 1:17.

American Bobby Julich, of the CSC team, finished ahead of his Italian teammate Ivan Basso who was fourth behind Armstrong at 1:54.

Armstrong is now only 144km away from ending his career, which will end on Sunday's 21st stage.

Unlike his previous six winning Tours, the American this year had not won an individual stage — before now.

Riding with an aerodynamic bike, helmet and suit to reduce wind drag and save seconds, Armstrong made easy work of the winding, hilly and crowd-lined 55.5km (34.5 mile) route that looped north of Saint-Etienne in central France.

Armstrong, as race leader, set out last of the 155 riders, his legs whirring, the yellow jersey on his back. He trailed Ivan Basso of Italy at the first time-check, but was leading at the second and stayed ahead from that point. — Agencies

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