Perhaps arguably, the greatest sports feat ever, Texan Lance Armstrong equaled the record of five consecutive wins in the Tour de France when he crossed the line maintaining his overall lead in Paris Sunday.
The cyclist, who has come back from cancer, has vowed to go on for a record sixth consecutive victory.
He beat German rival Jan Ullrich by 61 seconds after 2,1125 miles staged over 23 days. He had never won by less than six minutes in his previous victories.
Armstrong smiled broadly and chatted with other riders as they rolled into Paris. The race’s final stage is traditionally a ceremonial ride where no one challenges the overall leader.
Armstrong insists the problems that nearly cost him the Tour title this year will not be repeated.
“I don’t plan on being this vulnerable again next year, I really don’t,” Armstrong said Saturday, relieved to have scraped through a Tour that pushed him to the limits of his physical and mental strength.
Ullrich, the Tour winner in 1997 is a five-time runner-up in the race, including twice to Armstrong.
Ullrich’s challenge effectively ended when he crashed on the wet surface trying to trim Armstrong’s 65-second lead during Saturday’s individual time trial.
In that 19th stage, the 31-year-old Texan all but guaranteed himself a record-tying fifth straight Tour win, matching the mark set by Spain’s Miguel Indurain.
Source CNN.com.
