Nantes, July 27: Lance Armstrong pushed arch-rival Jan Ullrich over his limits in Saturday's decisive time trial and was on the verge of winning a record-equalling fifth Tour de France. Britain's David Millar was the gritty winner of the treacherous 49-km trial from Pornic to Nantes on Saturday (July 26) but it was the Texan's defeat of Ullrich by 11 seconds that had the crowd cheering. Steady rain and a constant tail-wind caused a dozen riders to fall by the time the leaders set off. Armstrong began the trial carrying a one minute and five seconds advantage over his rival Ullrich, knowing that the German had been a minute and a half faster in the first individual time trial at the beginning of the Tour. But Armstrong matched Ullrich's times in the opening stages of the trial and pressure built on the German to take risks and open up a lead. The Texan had checked the course twice before the start while Ullrich had not, and the decision probably cost the German his last chance to upset the four times Tour champion.


With 15km to go Ullrich skidded on a tight corner and slid across the road into the barriers. The 1997 Tour winner remounted but Armstrong had enough time in hand to ride fast but carefully to the line. He finished with one minute 16 seconds advantage overall.


"When I heard that Jan had fallen I thought 'keep calm, keep calm - no risk, no risk. It was gently, gently, the stage isn't important -- it was extremely dangerous,'" Armstrong said.


Sunday's 152 km last stage to Paris is an easy one and only a disaster could now stop Armstrong from joining Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain as the fifth man to win five Tours.


Armstrong shook his fist with joy when crossing the line. For Millar the stage win was a tremendous boost after earlier disappointment and dispiriting illness. The Cofidis rider had lost the prologue to Australian Bradley McGee when his bike threw its chain in the sprint to the line. He was then struck down with a bout of bronchitis which almost made him abandon the Tour. On Saturday morning he felt well again and returned to form with an unbeatable time of 54:05.


Tyler Hamilton, the second American hero in this Tour after breaking a collarbone on the first stage, was second, nine seconds adrift, with Armstrong third, 14 seconds behind. Ullrich was fourth 25 seconds off the pace.


Leading placings in Saturday's 19th stage of the Tour de France cycle race over 49 km (individual time trial) from Pornic to Nantes: 1. David Millar (Britain) Cofidis 54 minutes five seconds 2. Tyler Hamilton (U.S.) Team CSC 9 seconds behind 3. Lance Armstrong (U.S.) US Postal Service 14 4. Jan Ullrich (Germany) Team Bianchi 25 5. Laszlo Bodrogi (Hungary) Quick Step 26 6. Vjatceslav Ekimov (Russia) US Postal Service 56 7. Victor Hugo Pena (Columbia) US Postal Service 1:00 8. George Hincapie (U.S.) US Postal Service 1:08 9. Sylvain Chavanel (France) Brioches 1:12 10. Marzio Bruseghin (Italy) Fassa Bortolo 1:26 11. Stuart O'Grady (Australia) Credit Agricole 1:38 12. Michael Rogers (Australia) Quick Step 1:40 13. Christophe Moreau (France) Credit Agricole 1:43 14. Laurent Lefevre (France) Jaen Delatour 1:46 15. Michael Blaudzun (Denmark) Team CSC 1:56 16. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) Team Telekom same time 17. Haimar Zubeldia (Spain) Euskaltel 2:02 18. Evgeni Petrov (Russia) Ibanesto.com 2:07 19. Iban Mayo (Spain) Euskaltel 2:08 20. Kurt Van De Wouwer (Belgium) Quick Step 2:11 21. Marc Wauters (Belgium) Rabobank 2:12 22. Ivan Basso (Italy) Fassa Bortolo 2:16 23. Andrea Peron (Italy) Team CSC 2:19 24. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spain) U.S. Postal Service 2:20 25. Massimiliano Lelli (Italy) Cofidis 2:25 26. Nicki Sorensen (Denmark) Team CSC 2:27 27. Thor Hushovd (Norway) Credit Agricole 2:29 28. Grischa Niermann (Germany) Rabobank 2:30 29. Bram De Groot (Netherlands) Rabobank same time 30. Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukraine) Jean Delatour 2:33


Leading overall (yellow jersey) standings: 1. Lance Armstrong (U.S.) US Postal Service 80:02:08 2. Jan Ullrich (Germany) Team Bianchi 1:16 3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) Team Telekom 4:29 4. Tyler Hamilton (U.S.) Team CSC 6:32 5. Haimar Zubeldia (Spain) Euskaltel 7:06 6. Iban Mayo (Spain) Euskaltel 7:21 7. Ivan Basso (Italy) Fassa Bortolo 10:12 8. Christophe Moreau (France) Credit Agricole 12:43 9. Carlos Sastre (Spain) Team CSC 18:49 10. Francisco Mancebo (Spain) Ibanesto.Com 19:30 11. Denis Menchov (Russia) Ibanesto.Com 19:44 12. Georg Totschnig (Austria) Gerolsteiner 21:47 13. Peter Luettenberger (Austria) Team CSC 22:31 14. Manuel Beltran (Spain) U.S. Postal Service 23:03 15. Massimiliano Lelli (Italy) Cofidis 24:15 16. Richard Virenque (France) Quick Step 25:46 17. Jorg Jaksche (Germany) O.N.C.E. 27:22 18. Roberto Laiseka (Spain) Euskaltel 29:15 19. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spain) U.S. Postal Service 29:37 20. Didier Rous (France) Brioches 30:14


Points standings (green jersey): 1. Robbie McEwen (Australia) Lotto 178 points 2. Baden Cooke (Australia) FDJeux.com 176 3. Erik Zabel (Germany) Team Telekom 165 4. Hushovd 151 5. O'Grady 133 6. Luca Paolini (Italy) Quick Step 132 7. Jean-Patrick Nazon (France) Jean Delatour 119 8. Ullrich 112 9. Fabrizio Guidi (Italy) Team Bianchi 107 10. De Groot 99


King of the Mountain (polka-dot jersey) standings: 1. Richard Virenque (France) Quick Step 324 2. Laurent Dufaux (Switzerland) Alessio 187 3. Armstrong 168 4. Juan Miguel Mercado (Spain) Ibanesto.Com 133 5. Moreau 132 6. Mayo 130 7. Zubeldia 125 8. Ullrich 124 9. Hamilton 116 10. Paolo Bettini (Italy) Quick Step 100


Team points: 1. Team CSC 237 hours 21 minutes 51 seconds 2. Ibanesto.com 21:46 3. Euskaltel 44:59 4. U.S. Postal Service 45:08 5. Team Bianchi 1:12:40 Youth (under-25) standings (white jersey): 1. Menchov 80:21:52 2. Mikel Astarloza (Spain) AG2R 42:44 3. Juan Miguel Mercado (Spain) iBanesto.com 1:02:48 4. Sylvain Chavanel (France) Brioches 1:05:32 5. Andy Flickinger (France) AG2R 1:09:24

Bureau Report