Armstrong in Good Position

Lance Armstrong remained in 15th place in the Tour de France on Friday but still in good shape with the demanding mountain stages ahead.

Armstrong recorded the same time as sixth-stage winner Jaan Kirsipuu of Estonia. The Texan finished in 48th place and held a 27-second advantage over his main rival, Germany’s Jan Ullrich, in the overall standings.

Australia’s Stuart O’Grady finished with the main pack in fifth place and held the leader’s yellow jersey for a fourth day. Armstrong is 1:53 behind him.

Armstrong is still favored to retain his title but is not expected to bid for the lead until next week. The Tour arrives in the Alps on Tuesday and two days later moves to the Pyrenees near the Spanish border.

“Lance is really well positioned going into the mountains,” said Mark Gorski, general manager of the U.S. Postal Service team.

Armstrong and Ullrich, in 19th place overall, can strengthen themselves in the mountains, an arduous stretch that forces many riders to abandon the race.

Kirsipuu, who rides for AG2R, won Friday’s stage in a mass sprint. He completed the 131.34-mile stretch from Commercy to this town near the German border in 4 hours 50 minutes 39 seconds. It was the second time in his career he won a Tour de France stage.

Damien Nazon of France finished second and Jan Svorada of the Czech Republic was third, both in the same time as Kirsipuu.

Belgium’s Tom Steels was dropped from fourth to 160th in the stage for irregular riding in the final sprint.

Steels moved abruptly from left to right, causing Germany’s Erik Zabel to wobble. Zabel raised his hand and pointed to the Frenchman to signal a foul.

By being dropped, Steels did not lose time but missed a chance to improve his ranking in the competition to determine the best sprinter of the Tour.

The route took riders on their first mountain pass, the Col du Donon in the Vosges mountains, in which they climbed some 990 feet over 2.4 miles.

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Tour de France at a Glance

A look at Friday’s sixth stage of the 88th Tour de France:

* Stage--A 131.34-mile leg from Commercy to Strasbourg, near the German border.

* Winner--Estonia’s Jaan Kirsipuu, with a time of 4 hours 50 minutes 39 seconds.

* How others fared--Two-time defending champion Lance Armstrong of U.S. Postal Service team was 48th, finishing in the same time as the leader. Australia’s Stuart O’Grady kept the overall leader’s yellow jersey for a fourth day.

* Quote of the day--”Ludovic Capelle patted me on the behind 500 meters from the finish and said ‘Let’s go!’ ” Kirsipuu, speaking about his AG2R teammate from Belgium, who spurred him to victory in Friday’s stage.

* Next stage--A 100.91-mile leg through the Vosges mountains in France’s eastern Alsace region near the border with Germany, starting in Strasbourg and ending in Colmar.