Contador Takes Tour de France

(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»

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) - 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»