Armstrong is close to history

The Texan is on the threshold of becoming the first six-time winner of the 101-year-old race.
BESANCON, France (AP) -- Too strong.
Lance Armstrong capped his most dominant Tour de France with a crushing win in the final time trial Saturday, all but guaranteeing him a place in history as the first six-time winner of the 101-year-old race.
Pedaling furiously for a victory he didn't even need to secure his sixth crown, Armstrong again overpowered his rivals, building a gaping lead that he carried past cheering crowds to the finish in Besancon.
The Texan, riding a high-tech aerodynamic bike and wearing his bright yellow leader's jersey, was 1 minute, 1 second faster than second-place Jan Ullrich, the 1997 champion and five-time runner-up.
Only a crash or other disaster on today's last ride into Paris -- little more than a lap of honor for Armstrong -- can stop him from becoming, in titles at least, the greatest of the Tour's 53 winners.
"To be on the verge of breaking history is incredibly special," he said. "If I make it, in yellow, climbing the top step and making history will be the moment that I carry forward forever."
Started last
As overall leader, Armstrong set out last on the rolling 34.1-mile time trial course that looped south of Besancon, the birthplace of Victor Hugo. At the first time-check 11 miles in, Armstrong was already 43 seconds quicker than Ullrich.
At the finish, the Texan almost caught Ivan Basso, even though the Italian started three minutes ahead of him.
The stage win was Armstrong's fifth this race, bettering his previous best of four in a single Tour since he began his reign in 1999, after having conquered cancer.
"When I won the first one, I thought I could die and go away a happy man. To win six is very hard to put into words," he said. "I'm happy because it's over. I'm tired, in the head, in the legs. Everywhere."
Andreas Kloden, Ullrich's teammate, was third in Saturday's race against the clock, 1:27 behind Armstrong, but fast enough to overtake Basso for second in the overall standings.
Basso, the best young rider of 2002 and seventh last year, should finish third in Paris. Ullrich is destined for fourth -- his first time off the podium.
"Lance is riding in a different league," the German said.
Was overpowering
Not only did Armstrong overpower his adversaries from Day 1, but they never rose to the challenge of trying to dethrone him. Aside from Ullrich, Spanish climbers Roberto Heras and Iban Mayo flopped in the mountains and abandoned the race, and American Tyler Hamilton went home injured.
His lead of 6:38 over Kloden is not his biggest margin of victory, which remains 7:37 over Alex Zulle of Switzerland in 1999. But it was far better than last year, when he beat Ullrich by just 61 seconds.
Then, he vowed to roar back this year -- and has.
"I'm enjoying the competition more than ever, not to make history, not to make money, not for these things, but just for the thrill of getting on a bike and racing 200 other guys," the 32-year-old said.
Basso is 6:59 behind and Ullrich 9:09 back. With Kloden, they are the only riders within 10 minutes of Armstrong.
In the Alps, he won three stages in a row for the first time.
Won in the Pyrenees
He also won the second and hardest of two days in the Pyrenees, after allowing Basso to take the first stage a day earlier. He was also spectacular in the debut time trial, dealing a psychological blow to adversaries from the get-go by placing second. He also won the team time trial with his U.S. Postal Service squad. Including that collective victory, Armstrong won more than one quarter of this year's 21 stages.
Armstrong said he hasn't decided whether to return in 2005 or miss a year.
"I can't imagine skipping the Tour, and if I do come, I would only come with the perfect condition. I would never come for a promenade," he said. "For me, it's a special, special event and I can't imagine not being here."