FanHouse Lance Armstrong

Just like the words "live strong" and "Lance Armstrong" go together, drugs and cycling have become synonymous in recent years ... as they should -- a ton of competitive bikers are using and getting caught.

Not a lot, however, are failing drug tests for recreational drugs. That wasn't the case for Belgium cyclist Tom Boonen, who failed his third drug test in less than three years, leading to Boonen getting help for both his drug and alcohol addictions.

Boonen admits to enjoying the sauce, and his reasoning for failing the drug test was pretty honest (and anyone who has had one too many drinks in their life can relate).

With the Tour de France over, Alberto Contador didn't hold back from commenting on Lance Armstrong and showing how he really felt about his Astana teammate. Contador maintained three weeks of near silence about his tense relationship with Armstrong, but it was only a matter of time before he spoke out.

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.

PARIS (AP) -- Lance Armstrong's kids were dressed in yellow. He was not.

When the seven-time Tour de France champion returned to the Tour podium Sunday, his family was there. His fans were there. And so was rival and teammate Alberto Contador - wearing the coveted and hard-won yellow jersey.

Four years after his seventh Tour win, Armstrong capped his return with an impressive third-place finish. He had his clan on hand - son Luke, twin girls Grace and Isabelle, his mom, Linda, ex-wife, Kristin, and his girlfriend Anna Hansen, with their baby Max, sporting bright yellow shoes.

MONT VENTOUX, France (AP) -- Alberto Contador all but sealed his second Tour de France title Saturday, keeping the yellow jersey after a punishing mountain ride in the next to last stage. And almost certain to join him on the podium is Lance Armstrong.

Armstrong, a seven-time champion in his first Tour since 2005, held off attacks from his closest challengers in the dreaded climb up Mont Ventoux to hold third place. The 37-year-old Texan arrived in a small group that included Contador, his Astana teammate, and second-place Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.

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) -- Lance Armstrong and RadioShack are forming a new cycling team that will compete in next year's Tour de France.

The seven-time Tour winner, who returned to cycling after 3 1/2 years of retirement, also said Thursday he expects to take part in running and triathlon events for Team RadioShack beginning in 2010.

"RadioShack has agreed to partner with us on this venture and ensure that this partnership and this team stays alive for years to come, continues to be at the head of the peloton," Armstrong said in a video on his Livestrong Web site.

The 37-year-old Texan is riding this year's Tour with the Kazakh-funded Astana team. He was in third place overall after Thursday's time trial, 5 minutes and 25 seconds behind teammate Alberto Contador.

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.