Tour de France
Armstrong, still in 2d, faces a big test
BARCELONA, Spain - A split second off the lead with the mighty Pyrenees looming, Lance Armstrong now gets to see what his rivals can throw at him.
After mostly flat, wind-swept stages along the Mediterranean rim this week, the Tour de France enters mountainous terrain that has long belonged to climbers.
AP
American seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, second in row, rides with his Astana teammates during the fourth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, a team time-trial over 39 kilometers (24.2 miles) with start and finish in Montpellier, southern France, Tuesday July 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Armstrong remained just a fraction behind overall leader Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland yesterday after a treacherous, rain-soaked ride filled with crashes. Thor Hushovd of Norway led a mass sprint finish to win the 112.8-mile sixth stage from Gerona to Barcelona.
The field faces a 139.2-mile haul from Barcelona to Andorra today, with a grueling uphill finish - the first and hardest of three days in the Pyrenees.
"Tomorrow is an important day," Armstrong said. "I don't know if it's the most important day, but it's definitely a big appointment on this Tour."
The seven-time champion said he was happy to emerge unscathed from yesterday's "nervous" ride. Two spills marred the last six miles - one involving Yukiya Arashiro of Japan, another involving former world champion Tom Boonen of Belgium, one of Hushovd's sprinting rivals.
Cancellara, a time-trial specialist, acknowledged that he is not best climber and that his six-day run in the front soon may end.
"What do I have to do tomorrow? It's a good question," he said. "It's been a beautiful week to be in this yellow jersey. . . . I'm going to try to defend it, but I don't know how well I can do."
Carlos Sastre, the 2008 Tour champion and one of the world's top climbers, clearly is on the radar screen of both Armstrong and Astana teammate Alberto Contador.
"I think the others will attack," Armstrong said. "We are in a position where we can wait and watch the others."
Armstrong said that the riders to watch are Andy Schleck, who is 1 minute, 41 seconds back; his brother and Saxo Bank teammate, Frank Schleck, 2:17 behind; and Cervelo's Sastre, trailing by 2:44.
Tour de France at a Glance
Yesterday's sixth stage:
A 112.8-mile trek from Gerona to Barcelona, Spain, along the Mediterranean Sea featuring five small climbs.
Winner: Norway's Thor Hushovd of the Cervelo team, in 4 hours, 21 minutes, 33 seconds, in a mass sprint finish.
Yellow jersey: Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, who maintained his lead of a fraction of a second over seven-time champion Lance Armstrong.
Next stage: The first big mountain stage takes the riders 139.2 miles today from Barcelona to an uphill finish at the Arcalis ski station in Andorra. - Associated Press
