Armstrong misses yellow in Tour drama

Seven-time champion Lance Armstrong was denied the yellow jersey again as unknown home rider Brice Feillu won a dramatic seventh stage of the Tour de France. Feillu was part of a breakaway group which included Italian Rinaldo Nocentini, who ended Friday as an unlikely race leader after ending up in fourth place on the 224 kilometer stage from Barcelona to Arcalis. Behind the breakaway, the race favorites were engaged in a test of strength and it was Armstrong’s Astana teammate Alberto Contador who sped clear of his rivals with an incredible change of pace.

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Armstrong just fails to take yellow jersey

Lance Armstrong has failed by under a second to take the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, after the American’s Astana team powered to victory in the 39km fourth stage team time-trial around Montpellier. Seven-times winner Armstrong began the day 40 seconds behind race leader Fabian Cancellara in third position on general classification — and his Astana team duly beat Cancellara’s Saxon Bank team by that very margin, with the Garmin team splitting them in second position. The result means Swiss Cancellara keeps hold of the race lead by the slenderest of margins, with 2007 champion and Armstrong’s team-mate Alberto Contador in third place, 19 seconds behind the leading two.

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