Armstrong Called Nearly Unstoppable

Lance Armstrong’s rivals give the impression that the Tour de France is already won, 11 days and 1,100 miles from the finish.

The American leads the three-week race by 4 minutes 14 seconds after 11 stages and his stunning performance in the mountains that earned him the leader’s yellow jersey seems to have knocked the confidence out of the race’s other top riders.

“Armstrong is on another planet,” 1998 Tour winner Marco Pantani said. “He pushed me to the limit when I wanted to follow him.”

Germany’s Jan Ullrich is seen by Armstrong’s U.S Postal Service team as his main challenger, but even the 1997 Tour winner’s Deutsche Telekom teammates appear to be satisfied with a second-place finish.

“For our team, it has been a really good Tour de France,” said Erik Zabel, one of Telekom’s top riders. “Ullrich is doing well to be second and we are happy. We are four minutes behind, but Armstrong is a great champion and is really impressive.”

Ullrich said that he “didn’t have the force to stay with Armstrong,” on the mountain route at Lourdes-Hautacam on Monday. “I am still trying to find my rhythm.”

Many European cycling fans were skeptical about Armstrong’s success in 1999, when the field was weakened in the absence of previous champions Pantani and Ullrich. But Armstrong has seen the 2000 Tour go according to plan.

He preserved his energy until the 10th stage, when a stunning climb to Lourdes-Hautacam saw him storm past Pantani, Ullrich and Alex Zulle to take the yellow jersey.

Armstrong was enjoying a rest day Wednesday and preparing to climb what he calls a “mystical” mountain in the Tour’s 12th leg, a 92 1/2-mile course from Carpentras to Mont Ventoux. It is perhaps the most eagerly awaited stage of the three-week competition.

Team managers say the rider who emerges as leader at Ventoux, 62 miles north of Marseille, will be wearing the yellow jersey on the final dash along the Champs Elysees on July 23.

Armstrong is under no illusions about the challenge ahead.

“It is the hardest climb of this year’s Tour,” he said. “It is very special, very mystical. It is so hard that if you are good you can make a big difference.”

Today’s climb will be unforgiving. Only 14 miles from the finish line, riders are 1,000 feet above sea level; by the end, they are at an altitude of almost 6,300 feet.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Remaining Stages

Stages left with miles in the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong of the U.S. leads by 4 minutes 14 seconds after 11 stages:

* Today--12th stage: Carpentras to Mont Ventoux, 92.5

* Friday--13th stage: Avignon to Draguignan, 115.2

* Saturday--14th stage: Draguignan to Briancon, 154.9

* Sunday--15th stage: Briancon to Courchevel, 107.7

* Monday--Rest day.

* Tuesday--16th stage: Courchevel to Morzine, 122

* July 19--17th stage: Evian-les-Bains to Lausanne, 96.3

* July 20--18th stage: Lausanne to Fribourg-en-Brisgau, 153.1

* July 21--19th stage: Fribourg-en-Brisgau to Mulhouse, 36.3

* July 22--20th stage: Belfort to Troyes, 158

* July 23--21st stage: Paris to Champs-Elysees, 85.7