Graham Watson

Double time: Lance Armstrong on his way to the finish line for his second straight Tour de France win

Armstrong, 28, of Austin, Texas, finished a safe and sound 76th in the 21st and final stage, a 138-kilometer ride around Paris, with many of the city's most well known landmarks as backdrops.

Stefano Zanini (Mapei) of Italy edged Erik Zabel (Telekom) of Germany for the race's final stage victory in 3 hours, 12 minutes and 36 seconds. Romans Vainstens (Vini Caldirola) of Latvia was third as nearly the entire field was credited with the same finishing time.

"It was a tough tour, a hard tour," said Armstrong, who held the race lead since stage 10 and finished the three-week journey with a 6:02 margin over Jan Ullrich (Telekom) of Germany, the 1997 race winner. "The year, I was more physically tired; last year I was more mentally tired."

Surprisingly, Joseba Beloki (Festina) of Spain, competing in his first Tour, finished third, 10:04 behind the winner.

Armstrong claimed one stage and had three runner-up stage finishes in the 87th edition of the race that began July 1 in Futuroscope. He exchanged verbal barbs with Marco Pantani (Mercatone Uno) in the press when he allowed the 1998 race winner to claim the 12th stage.

As a consequence, both riders suffered. Armstrong's only weak moment occurred the stage after the argument reached its apex en route to Morzine. He lost nearly two minutes of his lead to Ullrich and said it was the "most difficult day of his life on a bike." Pantani's fate was worse. He lost nearly 14 minutes, fell from second place and the next day withdrew.

Assisted by eight U.S. Postal Service teammates —the only team that finished intact—Armstrong earned the 2.2 million French francs ($315,000) race prize, plus various other stage and sub-competition money. As per etiquette, team members will divide the Tour's financial rewards at the end of the season.

Joined by his wife Kristin, 9-month-old son Luke and well-wishers from fellow cancer survivors to Hollywood celebrities, Armstrong rode the final stage in the traditional fashion: Early in the stage, he wore a wig on his head for a short while and sipped champagne and posed while other riders shot videotape of the two-time race champion from their bikes.

Tyler Hamilton of Marblehead, Mass., was the next American, finishing 25th, nearly one hour behind his winning teammate. Hamilton finished 13th last year. Frankie Andreu of Dearborn, Mich., also set a record among American cyclists, finishing the Tour for the ninth straight year and fourth as a USPS rider.

The Tour had 177 starters and 128 finishers, 13 less than last year when Armstrong claimed a nearly 7 1/2-minute victory over Alex Zulle of Switzerland.