Armstrong suffers in torrid time trial

The American looked vulnerable on a steamy day, giving Jan Ullrich hope.
CAP'DECOUVERTE, France (AP) -- An exhausted Lance Armstrong is the first to admit it: He's no longer the man to beat in the Tour de France.
Parched and weak after a ride on a scorching day, the four-time champion ran out of energy -- and water -- on a key stage leading to the Pyrenees.
The Texan finished second in an individual time trial Friday and lost precious time to one of his main rivals -- stage winner Jan Ullrich of Germany, who moved into second place overall.
Not since Armstrong overcame cancer to return to the Tour in 1999 has his grip on cycling's most prestigious race looked so tenuous.
Race against time
He barely kept the overall lead after a crucial time trial in which riders unleash every bit of force to beat the clock.
Armstrong did extend his overall lead from 21 seconds to 34, but he had been counting heavily on using this stage to distance himself from the field.
Instead, Ullrich is lurking.
Ullrich, a 1997 Tour winner and twice runner-up to Armstrong, powered across the 29 miles of rolling vineyards in 58 minutes, 32 seconds to take the Tour's 12th stage. He was the only rider of 167 to finish in less than an hour.
Ullrich, of Team Bianchi, shaved more than 1 1/2 minutes from Armstrong's lead as the Tour enters the lung-wrenching Pyrenees.
"Now he's the big favorite," Armstrong said.
Armstrong looked stunned when he ascended the podium to accept the leader's yellow jersey. Afterward, he seemed spent -- physically and emotionally.
"I had an incredible crisis. ... I felt like I was pedaling backward," a flush-faced Armstrong said. Temperatures in the shade reached 97 and were far worse in the sun.
"Perhaps it was too hot for me," Armstrong said. "I don't know. I suffered."
Ullrich, however, was absolutely buoyant.
"From the start I never thought I could win this time trial," he said, sweat dripping from his face. "I got my old rhythm back ... I didn't expect this [victory] myself."
"I have never beaten Armstrong in a time trial in the Tour before, and I did it now, in my comeback year," he added.