FanHouse AlbertoContador

He never struck me as a man who could win by losing, not after conquering cycling and cancer and becoming one of the world's most inspirational souls. But in finishing third at the Tour de France, an event he once shaped into his personal Tour de Lance every summer, Lance Armstrong did his image more favors than he ever did during seven years of domination. He used to be an arrogant, combative and bitter cuss, an enemy of the French and a target of local doping sleuths/media poised to catch him in the steroids act.

But you'll never guess the headline Sunday in the sports daily L'Equipe, one of the news outlets that have portrayed him as a scandalous figure through the years. "Chapeau, Le Texan," it said. Or, hats off to the Texan.

AUBENAS, France (AP) - Alberto Contador stayed in command at the Tour de France with two days of racing left while teammate Lance Armstrong remained in third place as a daunting mountain climb awaits.

Mark Cavendish of Britain captured Friday's 19th stage in a sprint finish. He became the first racer to win five stages in a single Tour since Armstrong in 2004.

"This is a high point in my career," Cavendish told French TV.

ANNECY, France (AP) - Alberto Contador won the final time trial in the Tour de France on Thursday, and Lance Armstrong moved up one spot to third place overall.

Contador now looks all but assured of his second Tour victory after increasing his overall lead in the 18th stage, in which riders embarked one-by-one down the start ramp for the 40.5-kilometer (25.2-mile) stage in and around Annecy.

The 2007 champion finished the stage in 48 minutes, 31 seconds - beating Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland by 3 seconds. Russia's Mikhail Ignatiev was third, 15 seconds back.

LE-GRAND-BORNAND, France (AP) - Alberto Contador closed in on victory at the Tour de France Wednesday after finishing second behind Frank Schleck in the 17th stage as the race left the Alps.

Lance Armstrong trailed by more than 2 minutes and fell from second to fourth place overall in the 105-mile ride from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Le Grand-Bornand - seen by many as the toughest stage this year.

The stage likely ended any realistic chance Armstrong had of overtaking his Astana teammate Contador, and the seven-time Tour champion will now have to fight for a place on the podium instead.

BOURG-SAINT-MAURICE, France (AP) - Lance Armstrong mustered one of his strongest showings yet at this Tour de France on Tuesday, a dazzling burst of acceleration from yesteryear that allowed him to keep second place.

The seven-time champion was so buoyed by the performance that he suggested to The Associated Press he could still contend for the yellow jersey if teammate and race leader Alberto Contador has a "bad day."

Armstrong, speaking after the 16th stage in the Alps, stressed he doesn't expect that to happen and only a "big shake-up" would allow for such a scenario.

SION, Switzerland (AP) -- The tension with Lance Armstrong is all but gone in the crisp mountain air and the line of authority is clear. Now, Alberto Contador wants to concentrate on those teams intent on seizing his Tour de France lead.

The Spaniard used Monday's rest day to lay out his plan of attack to keep the yellow jersey he won by capturing the first stage in the Alps a day earlier.

Contador, the 2007 Tour champion, said his lead over other contenders "looks good" so far, but cautioned: "It's not done yet, we still have a hard week left to go."

Armstrong, the seven-time champion who returned to the race after 3 1/2 years of retirement, is in second overall - 1 minute, 37 seconds behind his Astana teammate.

The 37-year-old Texan has conceded that his chances of victory on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday are slim. He pledged to be a faithful support rider for Contador.

COLMAR, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong stayed in third place after a wet and chilly ride Friday and lost a crucial ally for the rest of the Tour de France when teammate Levi Leipheimer withdrew because of a broken wrist.

Germany's Heinrich Haussler won the 13th stage by outclassing the pack with a solo breakaway, and Italy's Rinaldo Nocentini kept the yellow jersey for a seventh straight day.

Armstrong, the seven-time champion, remained eight seconds behind Nocentini. Astana teammate Alberto Contador, the 2007 Tour champion, is second, six seconds back. Armstrong, Contador and other favorites were 6 minutes, 43 seconds behind Haussler.

VITTEL, France (AP) - Lance Armstrong remained in third place at the Tour de France on Thursday, scrambling back to the main pack following a punctured tire with about 37 miles left.

Teammate and rival Alberto Contador of Spain stayed in second place and Rinaldo Nocentini of Italy kept the yellow jersey on a day Nicki Sorensen of Denmark won the 12th stage.

"Up and down all day long and was aggressive from the start,'' Armstrong said on his Twitter feed.

LIMOGES, France (AP) - Alberto Contador is playing down tensions between him and Lance Armstrong, a rivalry that has left a glaring unresolved issue at the Tour de France: Astana's leadership remains in question while these former champions vie for the yellow jersey.

Armstrong told French television on Sunday that relations with his Spanish teammate are strained after nine stages of cycling's showcase race. Contador said during Monday's rest day in Limoges he has grown weary of the debate.

"It's a subject which is starting to tire me a bit," he said. "It's too repetitive. For me there are no tensions. I am totally relaxed and focused on the competition."