Free Republic

Today is a 55km ITT. Lance starts a little after 9:30 CDT.

SECURITY was stepped up to protect Tour de France race leader Lance Armstrong after the American received threats before the Alpe d'Huez stage midweek, race director Jean-Marie Leblanc revealed today. "There were threats against Lance Armstrong and we took these into account," said Leblanc, without giving details of the threats. Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the 15.5km climb up the legendary Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday to see Armstrong move closer to a record sixth Tour de France title.

LE GRAND BORNAND, France (Reuters) - A ruthless Lance Armstrong refused to allow his rivals a consolation stage victory as he came from behind to outsprint German Andreas Kloeden in the last few meters of the 127-mile 17th stage of the Tour de France Thursday. Armstrong's fourth win in the five mountain stages of this year's Tour -- he finished second in the other one -- underlined his dominance over his closest rivals as he seeks an unprecedented sixth successive Tour victory. Germany's Jan Ullrich finished the stage third while Italian Ivan Basso, who beat Armstrong on the 12th stage,...