Armstrong all but wins Tour de France 2005

Seven! Seven straight Tour de France victories!


Riding in his last individual time trial at his last professional race, Armstrong, the 33-year-old cancer survivor and record-setting winner of six straight Tours, demolished the field today in his last chance to win an individual stage.

Finishing in a time of 1 hour, 11 minutes, 46 seconds, Armstrong won the 34.5-mile race against the clock and all but clinched his seventh straight victory. He avoided becoming only the sixth man in Tour history — and the first since fellow American Greg LeMond in 1990 — to win the race without winning an individual stage.

Armstrong increased his overall lead over second-place Italian Ivan Basso from 2:46 to 4:40. Germany's Jan Ullrich moved into third place, 6:21 behind.

(By Diane Pucin, Times Staff Writer)




"It's not possible to beat [Armstrong]," said current second-place rider Ivan Basso, left. "I have done all I can."

(By Sal Ruibal, USA Today)


JAY LENO: Did you hear about the French accusing Lance Armstrong of using drugs?

JAY LENO: Over here, we call it "chemotherapy."


A picture of Lance Armstrong in his maillot jaune, with girlfriend, Sheryl Crow.



Lance Armstrong rides the Trek SSLx for the mountain climbing stages of the Tour de France. Trek engineers developed a new alloy, OCLV Boron, for the OCLV Carbon-based bicycle frame to make it stronger yet lighter. The SSLx is expected to be available to the public in 2006 for about US$10,000. (Credit: Scott Daubert)



The bike is for sale for US$10,000 but the rider is not included: despite what many would like to believe, we are not all born equal.