Armstrong blows away rivals in first Alpine stage
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-13 08:24

Two faces. One was Lance Armstrong's, steely but almost serene as he pedaled furiously in the thin mountain air. The other was a mask of pain worn by Jan Ullrich, his German rival trailing farther and farther behind.

Credit Agricole team rider Christophe Moreau of France waits on his bicycle before the start of the 192km (119 miles) 10th stage of the 92nd Tour de France cycling race between Grenoble and Courchevel, July 12, 2005. [Reuters]

Armstrong took a giant step toward a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory with a dominant ride Tuesday on the first Alpine climb of this year's race, retaking the overall lead - which he could hold all the way to the finish in Paris on July 24.

At the top of the snaking, crowd-lined final climb to the ski station of Courchevel, the American was beaten to the line by Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde, a 25-year-old who Armstrong says could be the next big thing in cycling after he retires at the end of this Tour.

But the second-place finish was just fine. Riders Armstrong regards as his main threats, including Ullrich, were way behind, still laboring as he and Valverde clasped hands in the saddle in mutual recognition.

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