Alberto Contador leads, Lance Armstrong 2nd as Tour de France embarks on 16th stage in Alps

July 28th, 2009 Contador, Armstrong trade barbs after TourMADRID — Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong are sniping again after a fragile truce during the Tour de France. Contador, who secured his second Tour win on Sunday in Paris, said he had no admiration for the American as a person and tensions between the two had a negative effect on the Astana team.

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 25th, 2009 Contador keeps yellow jersey at TourMONT VENTOUX, France — Alberto Contador has all but locked up the Tour de France title, keeping the yellow jersey after a punishing mountain ride in the next to last stage. The final leg is Sunday, a ceremonial ride into Paris.

July 24th, 2009 Bourgoin-Jallieu,FRANCE - The 19th stage of the 2009 Tour de France began Friday in the city of Bourgoin-Jallieu with most riders thinking about Saturday's decisive stage and Lance Armstrong already looking forward to next year. The 178-km stage to Aubenas includes only one difficulty, a gently sloping 14-km climb, and is regarded as a chance to rest up by the riders after Wednesday's gruelling day in the Alps and Thursday's difficult time trial around Lake Annecy.

July 24th, 2009 Contador leads as 19th stage of Tour beginsBOURGOIN-JALLIEU, France — Alberto Contador looks poised for overall victory as Tour de France riders have set off on a relatively flat 19th stage. Lance Armstrong has a tenuous hold on third overall, though he isn't expected to lose ground during Friday's 110.6-mile trek from Bourgoin-Jallieu to Aubenas in eastern France.

July 23rd, 2009 Contador wins time trial; Armstrong in 3rd placeANNECY, France — Alberto Contador has won the final time trial in the Tour de France, and Lance Armstrong moved up a spot to third place overall. Contador now looks all but assured of his second Tour victory after increasing his overall lead in Thursday's 18th stage.

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 Schleck wins 17th stage; Contador leads TourLE-GRAND-BORNAND, France — Alberto Contador has finished second in the 17th stage of the Tour de France as the overall leader moved closer to victory. Frank Schleck won Wednesday's stage as the Tour left the Alps, while Lance Armstrong finished more than two minutes back and dropped from second to fourth overall after the 105-mile ride from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Le Grand-Bornand.

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 19th, 2009 15th stage of Tour de France under wayPONTARLIER, France — Seven-time champion Lance Armstrong is facing a tough test as the first Alpine stage of the Tour de France has gotten under way between Pontarlier and the Swiss ski resort of Verbier. Fourth-placed Armstrong was 8 seconds behind overall leader Rinaldo Nocentini as riders set out Sunday on the 128.9-mile 15th stage.

July 16th, 2009 Tonnerre,FRANCE - The 12th stage of the 2009 Tour de France got underway Thursday with sprinters looking at one of their last chances for a stage win before the race heads into the Alps. The 211.5-km course includes six modest climbs, the most difficult of which is rated Category 3 and comes 40 km from the finish line in the spa resort of Vittel.

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 12th, 2009 Armstrong: This Tour 'probably not' his lastTARBES, France — Lance Armstrong says he could be back for one more Tour de France. The 37-year-old Texan, who is competing in the Tour for the first time since 2005, was asked by a French TV interviewer if this will be his last one.

June 30th, 2009 AP Interview: Armstrong set for Tour support rolePARIS — Lance Armstrong says he's capable of winning an eighth Tour de France but is ready, if necessary, to put his ambitions on hold for teammate and rival Alberto Contador. Contador and Armstrong will ride for the Astana team at the three-week race that starts Saturday.

June 25th, 2009 Astana team announces Tour de France lineupPARIS — Astana announced its lineup for the Tour de France on Thursday, with its challenge built around 2007 winner Alberto Contador as its leader and seven-time champion Lance Armstrong. In a glitzy presentation on its Web site, the Kazakh team said the two stars will be backed by past Tour podium finishers including Andreas Kloeden of Germany and American Levi Leipheimer.