LA PLAGNE, France -- Lance Armstrong placed third in the 16th stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday, extending his overall lead in his bid for a fourth straight title.

Armstrong finished 1 minute, 25 seconds behind stage-winner Michael Boogerd of the Netherlands in the 111-mile leg marked by difficult climbs.

Stage 16 -- At a glance

Stage A 111.29-mile stretch from Les Deux-Alpes to La Plagne, featuring three exceptionally difficult climbs. It was the toughest stage of the Tour. Winner Michael Boogerd of the Netherlands, in 5 hours, 48 minutes and 29 seconds. How others fared Three-time champion Lance Armstrong retained the yellow jersey of overall leader despite finishing the stage in third place, 1:25 behind Boogerd. Armstrong's lead over his nearest rival, Spain's Joseba Beloki, grew from 4:21 to 5:06. Quote of the day "I was only suffering and fighting to make the stage.'' -- Boogerd, explaining why he wasn't thinking about the possibility of being overtaken by Armstrong in the final stretch. Next Stage An 88.04-mile stretch from Aime to Cluses, featuring four tough climbs. It is the last mountain stage of the Tour.

But the 30-year-old Texan finished ahead of his nearest challenger, Spain's Joseba Beloki, and pushed his overall lead from 4 minutes, 21 seconds to about 5 minutes.

"It was really a difficult stage,'' Armstrong said. "La Plagne is a tough mountain pass.''

Barring illness or injury, or a spectacular loss of form in Thursday's last mountain stage, Armstrong is almost certain to retain the yellow jersey of overall leader until the finish in Paris on Sunday.

Armstrong won last year's Tour with a 6:44 lead over second-placed Jan Ullrich of Germany.

Wednesday's stage through the Alps included three exceptionally difficult climbs and was the toughest of the three-week Tour. Thursday's leg from Aime to Cluses is the last in the mountains, where the Tour title is usually decided.

"It's a complicated day,'' Armstrong said of the final mountain stage. "It's never flat. It's the same stage as two years ago when I cracked at Joux-Plane.''

Armstrong was referring to his only weak moment in the 2000 Tour, when he suddenly tired in the final mountain stage and lost nearly 2 minutes from his overall lead.

Armstrong never tired during last year's Tour, suggesting he has learned to maintain his form throughout the competition. He is also favored to win Saturday's individual time trial and extend his lead.

Boogerd, of the Rabobank team, took the stage between the ski stations of Les Deux-Alpes and La Plagne in 5:48.29.

Spain's Carlos Sastre was second, just ahead of Armstrong, who had the same time as the CSC-Tiscali rider.

Armstrong sprinted away from the pack of race favorites 2½ miles before the finish. The U.S. Postal Service team rider was about 2:40 behind Boogerd when he made the break.

He powered up the final stretch, cutting more than a minute off Boogerd's lead and catching up with Sastre. He shook hands with Sastre after crossing the line. Beloki finished 2:02 behind Boogerd.

Armstrong was congratulated by Prince Albert of Monaco after the stage.

	Lance At 16th Stage
	Year	Lead
	1999	6:15
	2000	5:37
	2001	5:05
	2002	5:06

Armstrong finished ninth in the 15th stage on Tuesday. The 140-mile stage from Vaison-la-Romaine to Les Deux-Alpes was the longest of the competition. Armstrong trailed the winner, Colombia's Santiago Botero, by 6:41.

"Les Deux-Alpes, it's not too hard, it's not good for attacking,'' Armstrong said.

On Tuesday, Botero was timed in 5:55:16, breaking from the main pack 103 miles before the finish.

"I kept my rhythm the whole day,'' Botero said.

This was his second stage win of this Tour. He stunned Armstrong to capture the ninth stage, an individual time trial.

Belgium's Mario Aerts was second, 1:51 behind Botero, and countryman Axel Merckx was third, 2:30 off the pace.

France's Christophe Moreau, fourth in the Tour two years ago, crashed early in the stage and cut his lip. He was 41st overall when he quit.

The first stage in the Alps was easier than the opening two mountain stages in the Pyrenees, and easier than the climb to the top of the Mont Ventoux.

Tuesday's racing came on the same day Jan Ullrich drew a six-month cycling ban for taking amphetamines. The German contends he took the substance at a nightclub and was not taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Ullrich won the Tour in 1997 and was runner-up four times, twice behind Armstrong. He is not competing in this year's race because of injury.