Race gets interesting as mountains loom

Lance Armstrong looked to test his form against top riders in the 10th stage.
GUERET, France (AP) -- The Tour de France began its longest stage today as the race entered the mountains for the first time.
Bastille Day fans packed the roadside as riders embarked on a 147-mile trek from Limoges to Saint-Flour. The 10th stage featured nine climbs, giving Lance Armstrong and other top contenders a chance to test their form before the crucial Pyrenees stages.
"From today on it's going to be really nasty," said Christian Vandevelde, an American rider from the Liberty Seguros team.
Race leader Thomas Voeckler said he was also wary of today's stage, the toughest riders have faced so far.
"I'm scared," he said. "I'd be lying if I said otherwise."
Armstrong, the five-time champion, hopes to make history with a sixth straight win and has negotiated the first nine stages relatively safely, despite one minor spill.
Despite his fall in the sixth stage, the Texan is looking in top shape and has kept main rival Jan Ullrich well behind so far. The German, a Tour winner in 1997, is 20th, 55 seconds behind Armstrong. But Ullrich generally gets stronger as the Tour goes on.
He spoke boldly of challenging Armstrong.
"In the Tour, it's important to use every opportunity to distance or eliminate adversaries, and if there's a chance, I won't hesitate to attack," Ullrich said.
Easy ride
In Tuesday's ninth stage, Armstrong placed 44th in a 991/2-mile undulating trek from Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat to Gueret. Ullrich was 25th in the same time as Armstrong and other top challengers such as Tyler Hamilton and Ivan Basso.
All finished in the same time as winner Robbie McEwen's 3 hours, 32 minutes, 55 seconds.
Australian McEwen beat Norwegian Thor Hushovd in a tight dash to the line. Australian Stuart O'Grady placed third.
Tuesday was marked by another crash, when Spaniard Mikel Pradera plowed into a road sign and cartwheeled into the path of another rider. Both went on to finish.
Armstrong and his teammates stayed clear of trouble.
"We just sat on the wheel, took it easy," he said. "We didn't have to take any responsibility."
McEwen got the fifth stage win of his career, but a lingering left knee injury means he might have trouble keeping his green jersey, awarded to the best sprinter.
"I don't want to sound like I'm a one-legged man," McEwen said. "After today, I feel like I've been, at least in the first half of the Tour, the best sprinter."
Leaders
French prospect Thomas Voeckler retained the yellow jersey as the overall leader, with O'Grady second and Frenchman Sandy Casar third. Armstrong is 9:35 behind Voeckler, but that deficit probably will shrink in the mountains, where the American is at his best.
Hamilton, Armstrong's former teammate, is 11th. Despite being 36 seconds behind, he could still be a major threat.
Friday's 12th stage takes the riders into the first of two Pyrenees mountain stages, a 122.73-mile ride from Castelsarrasin to La Mongie. It features two steep climbs close to the finish.
Saturday's stage is a 127.70-mile run from Lannemezan to Plateau de Beille.