CYCLING 2010 Stages
July 3 - Prologue, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 8 kilometers (5.0 miles) July 4 - Stage 1, Rotterdam-Brussels, plain, Belgium, 224 (139.2) July 5 - Stage 2, Brussels-Spa, France, hilly, 192 (119.3) July 6 - Stage 3, Wanze-Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, plain, 207 (128.6)

CYCLING 2010 Stages
July 3 - Prologue, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 8 kilometers (5.0 miles) July 4 - Stage 1, Rotterdam-Brussels, plain, Belgium, 224 (139.2) July 5 - Stage 2, Brussels-Spa, France, hilly, 192 (119.3) July 6 - Stage 3, Wanze-Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, plain, 207 (128.6)

PARIS - Lance Armstrong’s children were dressed in yellow. He was not. When the seven-time Tour de France champion returned to the Tour podium yesterday, his family was there. His fans were there. And so was rival and teammate Alberto Contador - wearing the coveted and hard-won yellow jersey. Four years after his seventh Tour win, Armstrong capped his return with an impressive third-place finish. He had his whole clan on hand - son Luke, twin girls Grace and Isabelle, his mom, Linda, and his girlfriend Anna Hansen, with their baby Max, sporting bright yellow shoes.

Alberto Contador all but sealed his second Tour de France title yesterday, keeping the yellow jersey after a punishing mountain ride in the next-to-last stage. And almost certain to join him on the podium is Lance Armstrong. Armstrong, a seven-time champion in his first Tour since 2005, held off attacks from his closest challengers in the dreaded climb up Mont Ventoux to hold third place. The 37-year-old Texan arrived in a small group that included Contador, his Astana teammate, and second-place Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.

What : A 104-mile trip from Montelimar to the Mont Ventoux, with a 13-mile final ascent at an average gradient of 7.6 percent.
  Winner : Juan Manuel Garate. The Spaniard, who entered the stage more than 1½ hours behind race leader Alberto Contador in the overall standings, clocked 4 hours, 39 minutes, 21 seconds, holding off fellow breakaway rider Tony Martin of Germany by 3 seconds. Andy Schleck, who retained second overall, finished third, 38 seconds back—in the same time as Contador. Lance Armstrong was fifth, 41 seconds behind Garate, and Frank Schleck was sixth, 43 seconds back.

A look the 19th stage of the Tour de France: Stage: A 110.6-mile ride from Bourgoin-Jallieu to Aubenas Winner: Mark Cavendish, who claimed his fifth stage victory this year in a sprint finish ahead of Thor Hushovd and Gerald Ciolek. Cavendish, who won his ninth career stage, became the first rider since Lance Armstrong in 2004 to win five stages in the same Tour. Yellow jersey: Alberto Contador, the 2007 winner, leads Andy Schleck by 4 minutes, 11 seconds. Seven-time winner Lance Armstrong is third overall, 5:21 behind his Astana teammate. Quote of the day: “L’Alpe d’Huez is a piece of cake against Ventoux.“—Andy Schleck Today: The 20th stage is a 167-kilometer stage from Montelimar to the Mont Ventoux. The climb is a 13.1-mile ascent at an average gradient of 7.6 percent. TV: 7 a.m., VERSUS

AUBENAS, France - After three weeks and thousands of miles of riding, it all comes down to this: a soaring bald mountain in Provence where the Tour de France can be won or lost. The fabled and dreaded Mont Ventoux today provides a dramatic climax to Lance Armstrong’s comeback Tour - and teammate Alberto Contador is expected to keep the yellow jersey.

ANNECY, France - Alberto Contador all but assured his second Tour de France victory yesterday, winning the race’s final time trial while Lance Armstrong moved up one spot to third place. Contador, Armstrong’s Astana teammate and the 2007 Tour champion, increased his overall lead in the 18th stage in which cyclists rode against the clock on the 25-mile course in and around Annecy. The three-week race ends Sunday on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Spectators react as seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong climbs the Colombiere pass during the 105.3-mile 17th stage of the Tour de France. Armstrong dropped to fourth place in the overall standings. Alberto Contador prevailed through the mountains of the 17th stage, which many saw as the toughest stage of 2009. LE-GRAND-BORNAND, France—Alberto Contador closed in on victory at the Tour de France yesterday after finishing second behind Frank Schleck in the 17th stage as the race left the Alps.

Stage : A 105.3-mile ride from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Le Grand-Bornand, featuring five climbs and regarded as the most difficult in the Alps this year.
  Winner : Frank Schleck of Luxembourg, ahead of race leader Alberto Contador and brother Andy Schleck. They broke away in the Col de la Colombiere after a move from Contador.

A look at the 16th stage: Stage: A 99-mile ride in the Alps between Martigny, Switzerland, and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France, featuring two punishing climbs, the Col du Grand Saint-Bernard and the Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard. Winner: Mikel Astarloza, who escaped three other breakaway riders. He beat Sandy Casar and Pierrick Fedrigo. Astana teammates Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong finished in the main pack. Yellow jersey: Contador, the 2007 winner, leads Armstrong by 1 minute, 37 seconds. Bradley Wiggins is third, 1:46 back. Quote of the day: “Lance is super clever, he doesn’t make any mistake. When he went, he knew he would catch the others.“ - Astana sports director Alain Gallopin, about Armstrong’s attack to rejoin Contador’s group Today: The 17th stage is a 105.3-mile ride from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Le Grand-Bornand, featuring five climbs. The final ascent’s summit is only 15 kilometers from the finish and this stage is regarded as the most difficult in the Alps this year. Today’s TV: 6:30 a.m., Versus

BOURG-SAINT-MAURICE, France - Lance Armstrong mustered one of his strongest showings yet at this Tour de France, a dazzling burst of acceleration from yesteryear that allowed him to keep second place. The seven-time champion was so buoyed by yesterday’s performance that he suggested he still could contend for the yellow jersey if teammate and race leader Alberto Contador has a “bad day.“

SION, Switzerland—The tension with Lance Armstrong is all but gone in the crisp mountain air and the line of authority is clear. Now, Alberto Contador wants to concentrate on those teams intent on seizing his Tour de France lead. The Spaniard used yesterday’s rest day to lay out his plan of attack to keep the yellow jersey he won by capturing the first stage in the Alps a day earlier.

VERBIER, Switzerland—As a seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong recognizes greatness—teammate and rival Alberto Contador. The Spaniard dominated the first stage in the Alps to take the overall lead yesterday—his first chance to wear the yellow jersey since winning the 2007 Tour de France. Armstrong, who started the 15th stage in fourth, moved up to second overall but is 1 minute, 37 seconds behind his teammate and rival.

Stage: A 129-mile trek in the Alps between Pontarlier and Verbier, Switzerland. The stage featured six climbs, including a demanding 5.5-mile final ascent to the ski resort.
  Winner: Alberto Contador of Spain, who crushed all other Tour contenders, including seven-time champion Lance Armstrong, with a solo victory. The 2007 Tour winner launched his attack in the final ascent, about 3.5 miles from the finish. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg took second place, 43 seconds back. Vincenzo Nibali of Italy finished third, 1:03 behind.