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2004 Tour de France
2004 Tour de France news
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A d v e r t i s e m e n t

 News
Stage 20 July 25, 2004
Stage 19 July 24, 2004
Stage 18 July 23, 2004
Stage 17 July 22, 2004
Stage 16 July 21, 2004
Stage 15 July 20, 2004
Stage 14 July 18, 2004
Stage 13 July 17, 2004
Stage 12 July 16, 2004
Stage 11 July 15, 2004
Stage 10 July 14, 2004
Stage 9 July 13, 2004
Stage 8 July 11, 2004
Stage 7 July 10, 2004
Stage 6 July 09, 2004
Stage 5 July 08, 2004
Stage 4: Team Time Trial July 07, 2004
Stage 3 July 06, 2004
Stage 2 July 05, 2004
Stage 1 July 04, 2004
Prologue July 03, 2004
Tour Preview July 02, 2004
Stage 18 June 23, 2004
Stage 17 June 22, 2004
 Tour de France Photos
2004 Tour Photo Gallery #7,
July 26
[launch gallery]
2004 Tour Photo Gallery #6,
July 22
[launch gallery]
2004 Tour Photo Gallery #5,
July 19
[launch gallery]
2004 Tour Photo Gallery #4,
July 14
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2004 Tour Photo Gallery #3,
July 11
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2004 Tour Photo Gallery #2,
July 9
[launch gallery]
2004 Tour Photo Gallery #1, July 62004 Tour Photo Gallery #1,
July 6
[launch gallery]

Lance Armstrong Foundation

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2004 TOUR DE FRANCE
Stage 19: July 24, 2004

Stage 19: July 24, 2004
Armstrong Wins Final Time Trial, Clinches Sixth Tour Championship
Compiled by Outside Online


Lance Armstrong won his fifth stage Saturday, virtually clinching an unprecedented sixth victory in the 2004 Tour
Lance Armstrong won his fifth
stage Saturday, virtually clinching an
unprecedented sixth victory in the
2004 Tour (Beth Schneider)
Lance Armstrong capped his spree of victories in the 2004 Tour with a win in the final time trial, all but guaranteeing that he'll capture an unprecedented sixth championship in the celebrated race.

The Texan crushed his nearest opponents Saturday for a stage win he didn't really need to remain in the lead, thrilling fans along the 37-mile route around Bensançon. Armstrong finished 1:01 faster than five-time runner-up Jan Ullrich.

At this point, only a crippling crash could thwart Armstrong's chances of winning a history-making sixth Tour.

"To be on the verge of breaking history is incredibly special," he told reporters Saturday.

Ullrich's teammate, Andréas Klöden, finished third in the time trial and is expected to take second place on the podium tomorrow, while Ivan Basso is slated for a third place finish. Ullrich is currently in fourth place overall, and will probably remain there tomorrow— the first time the German has not finished the Tour on the podium.

At this point, it's unclear whether Armstrong will return in 2005 to try to claim yet another title.

"I would do it. I'm not saying I'd never do it again," Armstrong told AP reporters Friday, after maintaining his overall lead of four minutes, nine seconds in the 18th stage. "I'll do it again before I stop. It's a special race. You can't have this intensity in any other event."

But The New York Times reported Friday that Armstrong intends not to return to the race next year to attempt a seventh Tour victory, out of respect for the other four riders who have won the race five times.







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