Armstrong Is Fine Despite Distant Finish

Lance Armstrong finished the eighth stage of the Tour de France nearly 36 minutes behind winner Erik Dekker but remained in position to win the race for the third consecutive year.

Riding through heavy rain and cold wind, the Texan crossed the finish line with the main pack 35 minutes 54 seconds after the Dutchman.

The big margin probably will not have much bearing because Dekker and the 13 riders within 10 minutes of him are not expected to do well in the key mountain stages that start Tuesday.

Dekker, who rides for Rabobank, edged Spain’s Aitor Gonzalez in the final sprint.

Dekker completed the 138-mile stage in 4:59:18. The stretch took riders from Colmar near Germany to Pontarlier, close to the Swiss border.

“It was cold, and when you’re in a breakaway group you get home quicker,” Dekker said.

Also in the breakaway group was Australia’s Stuart O’Grady. He reclaimed the overall leader’s yellow jersey by finishing 2:32 behind Dekker.

Armstrong was 35:19 behind O’Grady but remained 27 seconds ahead of his main rival, Jan Ullrich of Germany.

Only seven riders trailed O’Grady in the standings by fewer than 30 minutes. Armstrong and Ullrich can easily gain time in the Alps and the Pyrenees, which force many riders to abandon the Tour.

Servais Knaven of the Netherlands was third Sunday, registering the same time as the top two finishers. The three were part of a 14-man group that broke from the main pack.

A Spanish rider pulled out of the race after becoming the first cyclist in this year’s event to fail a drug test.

Txema Del Olmo’s preliminary urine sample showed unspecified “abnormalities,” his Euskaltel team said Saturday.

The test was done after the prologue in Dunkirk last weekend. The team said he has asked that a second sample be examined.

He was informed of the result Friday by the International Cycling Union and the team decided he should withdraw. Del Olmo did not start Saturday’s stage.

Eight riders take urine tests at the end of every stage. The cycling union conducts blood tests before the start of the Tour and randomly throughout the three-week event. Forty-four riders underwent blood tests early Saturday and none tested positive. No Euskaltel cyclist was tested.

The 1998 Tour de France was shaken by a drug scandal that led to several riders being kicked out of the event.

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Tour de France at a Glance

A look at Sunday’s eighth stage of the Tour de France:

* Stage--A 138.17-mile stretch from Colmar to Pontarlier near the Swiss border.

* Winner--Dutch rider Erik Dekker in 4 hours 59 minutes 18 seconds.

* How others fared--Two-time defending champion Lance Armstrong was 51st, finishing in the main pack, 35:54 behind Dekker. Australia’s Stuart O’Grady was fifth and took the leader’s yellow jersey.

* Quote of the day--”It was cold, and when you’re in a breakaway group you get home quicker.”--Dekker, on his break from the main pack.

* Next stage--A 114.89-mile stretch from Pontarlier to Aix-Les-Bains, at the foot of the Alps.