Despite the over-exuberant broadcasters that called the stage over, Lance Armstrong won the 17th stage of the Tour de France. Trailing Andreas Klöden with 100 feet to go, Armstrong caught him and passed him right as they passed the finish line to win 4 of the last 5 stages. The victory puts Armstrong 4:09 ahead of Ivan Basso with 3 stages left. With the lead he has, Armstrong is virtually assured of sipping champagne while riding down the Champs-Elysées
The blunder by the announcers notwithstanding, Armstrong showed people why they can't count him out. Klöden pulled ahead of the lead pack of racers within sight of the finish line and Phil Liggett announced, "The race just got won here by Andreas Klöden. It's all over." Even Gothamist knows that you can't call Armstrong out of a race. It ain't over until...well, you know.
Looks like the only thing that can stop Armstrong from winning is Armstrong. A Tour official said that if he wins this Tour, which would be his 6th in a row, he would not race next year. While Armstrong has said that he would race at least one more year in the past, the official said that he wants to race in other races and doesn't want to "appear to be rubbing in any superiority over the feats of Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain [the four racers that have won five tours]. Armstrong's agent and head of the Team Postal said they have had no discussions about next year and no decisions have been made.
See you on the winners podium in Paris, Lance.
