Italian cyclist Dario Frigo has won the 17th stage of the Tour de France, a tortuous ride in the Alps, but American Lance Armstrong remains the overall leader.
Frigo outsprinted two other riders to win the 142-kilometer stage between Aime and Cluses in four hours, two minutes, 27 seconds. Mario Aerts of Belgium was second with the same time. Italian Giuseppe Guerini was third, two seconds behind the winner. A group of eight riders finished less than three minutes later.
Armstrong finished the final mountain stage in 24th place with a pack of 15 riders, including Spanish teammate Roberto Heras, four minutes, 36 seconds behind Frigo. Spain’s Joseba Beloki was also in that group, so he gained no ground on Armstrong in the overall standings. He still trails the three-time champion by 5:06. Raimondas Rumsas of Lithuania is in third place overall, nearly 7:30 behind Armstrong.
Friday’s 18th stage covers more than 176 kilometers in the foothills from Cluses to Bourg-en-Bresse. After a time trial Saturday, the Tour concludes Sunday with a relatively flat stage ending in Paris.
With his big lead, Lance Armstrong is virtually certain of winning his fourth straight Tour de France. No other American has achieved that feat. Greg Lemond won three tours, in 1986, 1989 and 1990.
