Armstrong Plays Second Fiddle to Teammate

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) - 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»

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) - 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’s return to cycling is great and all, but it’s a bit of a buzzkill to see him wearing the blue-and-yellow Astana Cycling Team shirt, writes David Roth of The New Republic. Armstrong’s basically made himself a rolling advertisement for the oppressive government of Kazakhstan, and in the process hooked up with one of the least reputable outfits in cycling. More»