PERPIGNAN, France -- Lance Armstrong has
the Tour de France by the throat, according to Europe's cycling
media, but he still has work to do in the Pyrenees if he is to
win his third successive title.
The American's second successive stage win in a mountain
time trial on Wednesday put him three minutes 34 seconds ahead
of main rival Jan Ullrich. He remains in third place, more than
13 minutes behind Francois Simon of France, who currently wears
the race leader's yellow jersey.
"Armstrong does not stop, yellow jersey in sight," read a
headline in Italy's Corriere della Sera on Thursday, a rest day.
The paper quoted a former Italian cycling coach as saying:
"(Armstrong) is a show. It's like seeing a film you like two to
three times -- you never get tired even if you know the story."
"Yellow is only a question of time," agreed Dutch tabloid
Spits.
France's Liberation spoke of Armstrong sending out a message
as clear as a cathedral bell during the time trial, when he beat
Ullrich by one minute. "The bell-ringer of Notre Dame could not
have rung it louder," it said.
"With one and a half weeks still to go in the Tour, Lance
Armstrong once again holds the race by the throat," said
Belgium's De Standaard.
But newspapers agreed that while Armstrong had been a class
apart in the two Alpine stages, it was by no means certain he
could repeat the feat in the Pyrenees.
Ullrich believes three successive days of mountain climbs
after Thursday's rest could cause Armstrong problems and Dutch
dailies De Volkskrant and Algemeen Dagblad both said they
expected a German fightback.
"Ullrich bullish despite new blow" was De Volkskrant's
headline.
"A fighting spirit prevails in the German's camp which made
their soccer-playing compatriots feared around the world," it
said, adding that Armstrong had to rely heavily on Roberto Heras
for support as the rest of the team was disappointing.
But Ullrich will have to improve markedly to pressurise
Armstrong -- as La Repubblica put it "Yesterday's victory
confirms what was already known: he (Armstrong) is the
strongest."
"Has Ullrich already lost the Tour?" asked a fearful Bild,
Germany's top-selling newspaper. "Ullrich is strong as a bear,
but Armstrong is fiendishly good."
De Standaard agreed. "Reckoning on a spectacular collapse by
Armstrong, which would turn the Tour on its head, is more
wishful thinking than a logical conclusion."
 Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |
|
ALSO SEE
Tour de France: Day-by-day
Has Ullrich already lost the Tour?
Armstrong wins second straight stage
Tour de France results -- stage 11
|
