As Lance Armstrong was climbing steadily to the summit of professional cycling's holiest of Ziggurats - reeling off two, three, four, five, six, SEVEN straight wins in the Tour de France during his remarkable comeback from the cancer that nearly killed him - followers, fanatics and doubters struggled to find an apt historical comparison within the sport.
The handiest and most recent was that of Miguel Indurain, the impassive Spaniard whose five Tour wins, the previous record held by Indurain and three others, were also consecutive. While the domination was similar, the riders were not.
BAS CZERWINSKI / Associated Press
Spain's Alberto Contador (left) is the lead rider for team Astana, but seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong (right) is in the supporting cast and could end up taking the top spot.
