Bagneres De Bigorre, July 22: Lance Armstrong wrote one of the most sensational chapters of the Tour de France legend when he won a heart-stopping 15th stage in Luz-Ardiden despite crashing on Monday's final climb. The Texan, bidding for a record-equalling fifth Tour victory, was attacked and briefly dropped by German rival Jan Ullrich on the classic Tourmalet pass and then fell on the ascent to the finish, but still found the strength to win his first stage this year. "After the crash, I had a big rush of adrenaline. I told myself 'Come on Lance, you must win the Tour today,'" said Armstrong, who increased his lead from 15 seconds to 1:07. The defending champion had just counter-attacked behind Basque rider Iban Mayo when he appeared to get a spectator's bag snagged in his brake lever, bringing himself and Mayo crashing to the ground. "I think it was a spectator's bag. But it was also my fault for riding too close to the right side of the road," he explained.


Moments after his fall Armstrong nearly came to grief again when his foot slipped out of a cleat, but from then on he took the stage by storm, surging clear of his rivals.


His break was so sudden and punishing that it seemed fuelled by the frustration of a Tour that had appeared to be slipping out of his control since he was humbled by Ullrich in Friday's time trial.


Long-term stage leader Sylvain Chavanel was eventually overhauled near the finish of the 159.5-km stage, Armstrong graciously patting the back of the exhausted Frenchman as he accelerated past.


The crash was his second in this year's Tour, having been involved in a massive pile-up on the first stage. With stomach problems before the prologue and suffocating heat, it has been far from a smooth ride for the U.S. Postal leader. But his response on the approach to Luz-Ardiden, lined by thousands of fanatical Basque fans, was awesome.


Second at the start of the stage, 15 seconds behind Armstrong, Ullrich crucially lost 40 seconds on the final climb. Ullrich, winner of the Tour in 1997, had looked strong when he first attacked Armstrong in the Tourmalet.


But the four-times Tour champion, at first dropped, managed to bridge the gap and join forces with the German and Euskaltel leaders Mayo and Haymar Zubeldia.

Ullrich, who had upset the four-times Tour champion in a time trial last week, finished third in the stage, 40 seconds behind the American and trails him by 1:07 overall.


Third-placed Alexander Vinokourov, who drifted back to a distant 2:26 behind the Texan at the finish, a total deficit of 2:47.


"This morning, I knew this was going to be a great day for me and for the Tour. I knew that if I wanted to win the Tour, I needed to attack today," Armstrong said.


"I could not wait for the last time trial," he said, referring to Saturday's 49-km timed test between Pornic and Nantes.


The time trial will be the final chance for Ullrich to strike back but he will have to repeat the form he showed in winning the first timed test at Cap Decouverte, something Armstrong is wary of.


"The Tour finishes on the Champs Elysees. Jan Ullrich is a great rider and everything is possible in the time trial.


"What matters most for me now is that I will be able to look at my team mates in the eyes tonight in the hotel," he added.


Ullrich, who was outsprinted by Spaniard Iban Mayo for second place, said : "I'm a little disappointed not to have taken second place because it would have given me some time bonus," .


Leading placings in Monday's 15th stage of the Tour de France cycle race over 159.5-km from BagnEres de Bigorre to Luz Ardiden: 1. Lance Armstrong (U.S.) U.S. Postal Service four hours 29 minutes and 26 seconds 2. Iban Mayo (Spain) Euskaltel 40 seconds behind 3. Jan Ullrich (Germany) Team Bianchi 4. Haimar Zubeldia (Spain) Euskaltel 5. Christophe Moreau (France) Credit Agricole all same time 6. Ivan Basso (Italy) Fassa Bortolo 47 7. Tyler Hamilton (U.S.) Team CSC 1:10 8. Alexander Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) Team Telekom 2:07 9. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spain) U.S. Postal Service 2:45 10. Sylvain Chavanel (France) Brioches 2:47 11. Carlos Sastre (Spain) Team CSC 3:12 12. Denis Menchov (Russia) iBanesto.com 13. Roberto Laiseka (Spain) Euskaltel all same time 14. Georg Totschnig (Austria) Gerolsteiner 3:24 15. Manuel Beltran (Spain) U.S. Postal same time 16. Jorg Jaksche (Germany) ONCE 4:10 17. Franco Pellizotti (Italy) Alessio 4:25 18. Patrice Halgand (France) Jean Delatour 5:27 19. Francisco Mancebo (Spain) Ibanesto.com 5:36 20. Peter Luettenberger (Austria) Team CSC same time


Leading overall (yellow jersey) standings: 1. Armstrong 65:36:23 2. Ullrich one minute seven seconds behind 3. Vinokourov 2:45 4. Zubeldia 5:16 5. Mayo 5:25 6. Basso 8:08 7. Hamilton 9:02 8. Moreau 11:09 9. Mancebo 16:05 10. Sastre 16:12 11. Menchov 17:09 12. Totschnig 18:52 13. Beltran 19:34 14. Virenque 22:00 15. Laiseka 24:19 16. Jaksche 24:59 17. Rous 26:50 18. Luettenberger 26:52 19. Rubiera 27:29 20. Laurent Dufaux (Switzerland) Alessio 28:57


Points standings (green jersey): 1. Baden Cooke (Australia) FDjeux.com 156 points 2. Robbie McEwen (Australia) Lotto 148 3. Thor Hushovd (Norway) Credit Agricole 134 4. Erik Zabel (Germany) Team Telekom 126 5. Stuart O'Grady (Australia) Credit Agricole 122 6. Jean-Patrick Nazon (France) Jean Delatour 111 7. Luca Paolini (Italy) Quick Step 106 8. Ullrich 98 9. Vinokourov 91 10. Armstrong 83


King of the Mountain (polka-dot jersey) standings: 1. Virenque 318 2. Dufaux 177 3. Armstrong 167 4. Mayo 130 5. Zubeldia 125 6. Ullrich 124 7. Moreau 124 8. Paolo Bettini (Italy) Quick Step 100 9. Beltran 97 10. Chavanel 95


Team points: 1. Team CSC 194 hours 34 minutes and two seconds 2. Euskaltel six minutes 58 seconds behind 3. U.S. Postal Service 14:08 4. iBanesto.com 16:43 5. Team Bianchi 59:13


Youth (under-25) standings (white jersey): 1. Menchov 65:53:32 2. Mikel Astarloza (Spain) AG2R 42:33 seconds behind 3. Mercado 43.40 4. Chavanel 1:07:07 5. Evgeni Petrov (Russia) iBanesto.com 1:16:16


Bureau Report