Even A Fall Can't Stop Armstrong
Riding like a man possessed, Lance Armstrong demolished his rivals in a drama-packed climb in the 15th stage of the Tour de France on Monday, recovering from a hard crash to stamp his authority on the race after two weeks of difficulties.
The race leader said his spectacular stage win came from his frustration at how he's been performing so far, reports CBS News Correspondent Elaine Cobbe. When he fell from his bike, that was the last straw.
"I told myself "this series of problems has to end,'" he told reporters.
The Texan said he felt a "big rush of adrenaline" after he fell from his bike and surged ahead of the other racers and crossed the finishing line alone, to notch up his first stage win this year.
Armstrong now has widened his overall lead to one minute seven seconds, greatly increasing the four-time champion's chances of equaling Miguel Indurain's record of five successive Tour wins.
Armstrong, slumped over his bike after his incredible effort, crossed the line 40 seconds ahead of archrival Jan Ullrich, whom he left far behind on the punishing ascent to Luz-Ardiden, high in the misty mountains of the Pyrenees. There are just five stages left to go.
The 31-year-old Texan's ride effectively knocked his second-closest rival, Alexandre Vinokourov, out of the running, leaving Armstrong and Ullrich locked in a head-to-head battle for victory in Paris next Sunday.
Armstrong won after recovering from a fall about 5.9 miles from the summit at Luz-Ardiden, a ski resort. He grazed his left elbow and dirtied the left shoulder of his overall leader's yellow jersey, but then remounted his bike and got back in the race.
Where just days ago Armstrong appeared haggard and drained, on Monday he looked like the champion of old. His win left Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner, 67 seconds back overall. Ullrich, grimacing as he neared the finish line, had started the day just 15 seconds behind.
Vinokourov, his mouth gaping open in exhaustion, dropped to 2 minutes and 45 seconds behind overall. He finished 8th. Ullrich was 3rd, behind second-placed Iban Mayo of Spain.
Armstrong smacked onto the tarmac after a spectator's outstretched bag caught his handlebars. Armstrong said the fall was partly his fault, because he was shaving the huge and excited crowd that lined the winding ascent. Mayo crashed into Armstrong as he lay in the road and fell, too.
"I think it was a spectator's bag. It was also my fault for riding too much to the right of the road, it's too bad," Armstrong said.
The drama didn't stop there. Shortly after climbing back on his bike, Armstrong's right foot slipped out of his pedal and he nearly fell again.
Ullrich, who had to swerve to avoid Mayo and Armstrong's crash, proved to be a gentleman, waiting with other riders while Armstrong and Mayo caught back up. Armstrong also grazed his left hip in the crash but was otherwise unhurt, said his spokesman, Jogi Muller.
"Jan is a good guy, he's an honorable guy. He probably didn't forget that when he crashed in 2001, in what appeared to be a serious crash, I told everyone: 'We can't race until he gets back up,'" said Armstrong.
"As we say in English: 'What goes around comes around,' and so I appreciate him doing that."
Monday's climb was classic Armstrong, reminiscent of some of his great ascents in past Tours. Having recovered from the crash, he threw himself onto his pedals, powering up the mountain and into the mist, his eyes fixed in determination on the road ahead. His legs whirring, a silver cross bouncing on his chest, Armstrong widened the gap over Ullrich as he ascended: 15 seconds, 20, 40.
Armstrong got a bonus 20 seconds added to his overall lead for finishing first. Ullrich got eight seconds for third place — that left an overall margin of 67 seconds between the two riders.
Armstrong needed a cushion of time going into a time trial next Saturday that could decide this centennial Tour. Ullrich was devastating in the last time trial Friday, taking a huge 96-second chunk out of Armstrong's overall lead and dealing the Texan a blow that until Monday appeared to have been nearly irreparable.
With just 15 seconds to spare over Ullrich at the start of the day, Armstrong viewed the climb to Luz-Ardiden as crucial.
"This morning, I knew today was a very big day for me ... and if that I wanted to win the Tour de France, it was necessary to go all out and attack today," he said.
Barring more unforeseen dramas, Saturday's race against the clock offers Ullrich, who excels in the event, his best chance to overtake Armstrong. With the exception of another mountainous stage in the Pyrenees on Wednesday, the remaining stages are mostly flat and do not offer riders easy chances to make up lots of time.
Aitor Garmendia, Ullrich's teammate, said the ferocity of Armstrong's attack to Luz-Ardiden caught the 29-year-old German by surprise. He also said Ullrich "was certainly thrown off by Lance's fall, it broke his rhythm."
But "the race is still open, Ullrich has had an incredible last few days and he's a bit tired today," said Garmendia. "But he'll recover. Never has he been so close to Lance."
The tens of thousands of spectators who lined the route cloaked in mist were anticipating an epic race. But it exceeded all expectations.
Never had Armstrong been so closely shadowed by his rivals since he first won the Tour in 1999. Almost from the beginning, he had problems. He was sick before the Tour; he was involved in a crash on the second day; he failed to shine in the Alps.
When he crashed, it seemed as if Armstrong's luck had finally run out. But when history books are written, it could prove to be the deciding moment of this year's race.
"This has been a Tour of too many problems, too many close calls," said Armstrong. "I wish it would stop. I wish I could just have some uneventful days. Anyway, I had a good day today."