Top Riders to Watch (Besides Lance)

Spaniard makes mark as cycling's new star

(AP) - He may have clinched yesterday, but Alberto Contador crossed over the finish line today, winning his third Tour de France and heralding the arrival of a new cycling superstar as seven-time champion Lance Armstrong finished the race for the last time. Mark Cavendish of Britain led a sprint to win the 20th and final stage—a largely ceremonial 63.7-mile course from Longjumeau to the Champs-Elysees in Paris. More»

(NEWSER) - The Tour de France still has three days left, but nothing short of a two-wheeled miracle will give Lance Armstrong his eighth title, writes Diane Pucin in the Los Angeles Times. Armstrong is now in fourth place, and about the best he can do is push hard in the final days to earn a spot on the podium Sunday in either second or third. Teammate Alberto Contador has the No. 1 spot all but wrapped up. 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»

Spanish rider heads into uncompetitive last stage more than a minute up

(NEWSER) - Spain's Carlos Sastre looks poised to win the Tour de France after the last leg before Paris, the New York Times reports. Barring a crash or concerted attack, Sastre, who leads his nearest competitor by 1 minute and 5 seconds overall, will roll to victory in the capital tomorrow. He wasn't out front today, but still held onto the yellow jersey by a healthy margin. More»

They tried, but just couldn't say goodbye

(NEWSER) - Just five weeks into her early retirement , Amanda Bynes is back —thank goodness. “As you let the good news sink in, possibly while IMDBing who Amanda Bynes actually is,” Mary Elizabeth Williams writes for Salon , consider eight other public figures who just couldn’t quit:

• Cher: “The diva has gone away and come back more times than a persistent case of pinkeye” and is currently doing an extended run in Vegas.
• Joaquin Phoenix: He told reporters he was “done” in 2008, but he’s starring in a documentary about his rap career, so who knows if he was serious or not. Click here to read about a scandal surrounding said documentary.