Armstrong faces tough test in first Alpine stage of the Tour

August 23rd, 2009 Downing wins Tour of Ireland, Armstrong pulls outCORK, Ireland — Lance Armstrong pulled out of the Tour of Ireland in heavy rain during the final stage Sunday. Russell Downing of Britain won the race after Norway's Lars Petter Nordhaug captured the final stage.

August 22nd, 2009 Cavendish wins second stage of Tour of IrelandKILLARNEY, Ireland — Britain's Mark Cavendish has won the second stage of the three-day Tour of Ireland, with Lance Armstrong 26 seconds behind the overall leader. Armstrong also received Cavendish's time of 5 hours, 7 minutes, 33 seconds.

August 21st, 2009 Armstrong finishes in pack on Day 1 in IrelandWATERFORD, Ireland — Lance Armstrong finished in the main group of riders Friday in the opening stage of the three-day Tour of Ireland, his first race since his third-place showing in the Tour de France. The seven-time Tour de France winner was among the 14 cyclists to come in 16 seconds behind stage winner Russell Downing of Britain.

July 26th, 2009 PARIS - Alberto Contador won the 2009 Tour de France Sunday, the second Tour title of his career, outsprinting Luxembourg's Andy Schleck and seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong. The 26-year-old Contador's margin over the 24-year-old Schleck was 4 minutes 11 seconds, the largest winning margin in several years.

July 26th, 2009 Alberto Contador wins Tour de France againPARIS — Alberto Contador won the Tour de France for a second time Wednesday, and Lance Armstrong capped his return to the race with an impressive third-place finish. Mark Cavendish of Britain collected his sixth stage win of this year's Tour in a sprint after the 101.9-mile course ride from Montereau-Fault-Yonne to the Champs-Elysees.

July 23rd, 2009 Armstrong vies for podium in Tour's 18th stageANNECY, France — The 18th-stage time trial is under way at the Tour de France, with Lance Armstrong needing a comeback if he wants a place on the podium when the race ends Sunday in Paris. Alberto Contador has a comfortable grip on the yellow jersey, and the fourth-place Armstrong is looking to overcome brothers Andy and Frank Schleck, who bumped the Texan from second a day earlier.

July 22nd, 2009 Contador leads as 17th Tour stage gets under wayLE-GRAND-BORNAND, France — Tour de France leader Alberto Contador and second-place Astana teammate Lance Armstrong have started on the 17th stage of the race, which features five tough climbs. The peloton is heading on a 105-mile ride from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Le Grand-Bornand, the final stage in the Alps.

July 21st, 2009 Contador in yellow as 16th stage of Tour startsMARTIGNY, Switzerland — Tour de France leader Alberto Contador and second-place teammate Lance Armstrong have started on the 16th stage of the race, which goes into the Swiss Alps. The pack is heading on a 98.8-mile ride from Martigny to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France, via Italy and up the Grand-Saint-Bernard and Petit-Saint-Bernard passes.

July 21st, 2009 Schleck still confident he can win Tour de FranceVERBIER, Switzerland — Andy Schleck isn't ready to concede the Tour de France to Alberto Contador just yet. The 24-year-old was the only rider able to stay close to Contador in the final ascent to the Swiss ski resort of Verbier in Sunday's 15th stage.

July 17th, 2009 Armstrong still in 3rd as Tour's 13th stage beginsVITTEL, France — Rinaldo Nocentini of Italy wore the yellow jersey Friday to lead the other Tour de France riders out of the spa town of Vittel under rainy skies to Colmar in the race's 13th stage. The 124.3-mile stage through the rolling Vosges hills of eastern France features three big climbs including the category-1 Col du Platzerwasel.

July 15th, 2009 Cavendish wins 11th Tour stage, Armstrong in 3rdSAINT-FARGEAU, France — Mark Cavendish has won the 11th stage of the Tour de France and Lance Armstrong remains in third place overall. Cavendish sealed his second straight stage win and fourth of the Tour on Wednesday.

July 10th, 2009 Feillu wins 7th Tour stage in PyreneesARCALIS, Andorra — Brice Feillu of France has won the seventh stage of the Tour de France in a solo breakaway. It was not immediately clear who would take the yellow jersey from Fabian Cancellara, who trailed far behind the main pack.

July 10th, 2009 BARCELONA, Spain — The seventh stage of the Tour de France between Barcelona and the Andorran ski resort of Arcalis has started, with Lance Armstrong facing his first big test in the mountains. The 139-mile stage — the longest on the Tour this year — features the category 1 Col del Serra-Seca before the climb to Arcalis, which is classified "beyond category." The final ascent is 6.5 miles long and has an average gradient of 7.1 percent.

July 8th, 2009 Armstrong just off lead as Tour's 5th stage beginsCAP D'AGDE, France — Lance Armstrong was trailing race leader Fabian Cancellara by a fraction of a second as Tour de France riders left for the fifth stage along the Mediterranean coast. Breakaway riders are expected to shine in Wednesday's 122-mile ride from Le Cap d'Agde to Perpignan, though the finale could also involve a sprint.

July 5th, 2009 Cancellara in yellow for Tour's 2nd stageMONACO — Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland was wearing the race leader's yellow jersey as 180 cyclists rode in the second stage of the Tour de France. Seven-time winner Lance Armstrong, prerace favorite Alberto Contador and other possible title contenders are likely to ride conservatively Sunday in the 116.2-mile stage from Monaco to Brignoles.