Armstrong Keeps Low Profile on Eve of Tour

Spanish cyclist eclipses Armstrong in second Tour triumph

(AP) - Alberto Contador won the Tour de France for a second time today, and Lance Armstrong capped his return to the race with an impressive third-place finish. Mark Cavendish of Britain became the first rider to win six Tour stages in a sprint, collecting his sixth stage win after the 101.9-mile course ride from Montereau-Fault-Yonne to the Champs-Elysees. More»

(NEWSER) - Alberto Contador finished a respectable fourth in today’s stage of the Tour de France, giving him an all-but-certain lock on first place overall, Reuters reports. Only tomorrow's ride remains, and riders traditionally don't jockey for position on the final day. Lance Armstrong, meanwhile, rode well and will likely keep his 3rd-place position. More»

(NEWSER) - Lance Armstrong is in third place going into the 10th stage of the Tour de France today—eight seconds behind the leader, and just two seconds behind Astana teammate Alberto Contador. The two cyclists have faced endless questions about a rift, reports the BBC, and it's unclear who will lead as the race wends its way into Paris. Recently Armstrong conceded that "the honest truth is that there is a little tension" and that third place would not be a good enough finish for him. More»

(NEWSER) - Lance Armstrong suffered a late setback today as a teammate made a last-minute push in the seventh stage of the Tour de France, the New York Times reports. Armstrong's Astana teammate Alfredo Contador didn't win the longest stage of the Tour—Brice Feillu did—and Rinaldo Nocentini still holds the overall lead. But his assertive move may have answered the intra-Astana question of who’s working for whom. More»

Alberto Contador to be banned from racing for 2 years: appeals court

(NEWSER) - Three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has been found guilty of doping during his 2010 victory, prompting a two-year ban on racing. The Spanish cyclist will also likely lose his title from that year—in addition, perhaps, to seeing all his racing wins in 2011 annulled. Contador tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug clenbuterol during the Tour in 2010; he blamed it on a tainted steak he had eaten. More»