Lance Armstrong outsprints rivals Basso, Ullrich to claim the yellow jersey

By JOHN LEICESTER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
VILLARD-DE-LANS, France -- Lance Armstrong retook the overall lead in the Tour de France today, outsprinting his top two challengers to win the first stage in the Alps and close in on a record sixth straight title.
Armstrong moved past Ivan Basso and 1997 Tour champion Jan Ullrich in the curves before the closing stretch to claim his second stage victory in the 2004 Tour and the 18th of his illustrious career. He also has won two team time trials.
The Texan earned his 61st yellow jersey as overall leader, third-most in Tour history. Armstrong also wore yellow for one day after the team time trial July 7, but he ceded the lead to Thomas Voeckler the next day.
Voeckler fades
The French champion held on until today, having bravely and narrowly defended his advantage in the Pyrenees. Armstrong entered those mountains trailing by nine minutes and whittled that down to 22 seconds heading to the Alps.
Five-time Tour runner-up Ullrich's bid to dethrone Armstrong was hurt in the Pyrenees, but Basso appeared to still have a shot after two weeks of punishing racing.
Neither Ullrich nor Basso, though, had the strength to stay with Armstrong at the end of today's 112-mile ride from Valreas to Villard-de-Lans, including seven climbs, in heat topping 85 degrees.
Having pulled ahead of the rest of the riders, that trio -- plus Ullrich's teammate Andreas Kloden -- jockeyed for an edge during the closing yards, trading leads of a bicycle length or so.
Saved something for the end
In the end, Armstrong had a little extra, flashing past Basso on a late turn and pumping his legs to carry himself across the finish line first, pumping his fists.
Basso was credited with the same finishing time, with Ullrich three seconds behind, and Kloden six seconds back in fourth place.
Armstrong earned bonus seconds for winning the stage, extending his lead on second-place Basso to 1 minute, 25 seconds. If he can hold that advantage for two more days in the Alps and in a time trial on Saturday, Armstrong will pedal into the history books when the three-week cycling marathon ends on the crowd-packed Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday.
Kloden is third overall, 3:22 off Armstrong's pace.
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