Lance Armstrong Takes Yellow Jersey in Dramatic Finish of Tour de France

Lance Armstrong has dominated the Tour de France, taking the yellow jersey after a close victory in the 15th stage. If he maintains the jersey through the end of the race in Paris on Sunday, it would mark a record sixth straight title for the cyclist. The stage, covering 112 miles from Valreas to Villard-de-Lans in the French Alps, saw Armstrong sprint to a close win, holding off two challengers in the final meters.

Key Takeaways:

Lance Armstrong won the 15th stage of the Tour de France, taking the yellow jersey and moving closer to a record sixth straight title.
Armstrong credited his winning strategy to knowing that his rival, Ivan Basso, would be racing before him in the individual time trial on the mountain L'Alpe d'Huez.
Former racer Frankie Andreu noted that Armstrong's teammates were able to draft behind others, allowing him to conserve energy for the final sprint.
Andreu observed that Armstrong's closest rival, Ivan Basso, had to stay within a minute of Armstrong's pace, or risk being left behind.
Lance Armstrong stated that having his rival race before him in the individual time trial was a significant advantage in maintaining the yellow jersey.
Andreu suggested that the Tour de France could be on the cusp of a new era, with a new group of riders emerging as top contenders.

Statistics:

Distance of the 15th stage: 112 miles
Time of the stage: Not specified
Margin of victory for Lance Armstrong in the final sprint: 3-4 seconds
Time difference between Armstrong and Basso in the individual time trial: 1 minute
Number of riders who have been eliminated from contention: Multiple riders, including favorites Tyler Hamilton, Roberto Heras, and Iban Mayo.
Length of L'Alpe d'Huez, the mountain where the final individual time trial takes place: 9.3 miles

Sources:

BBC Radio report
Frankie Andreu, former racer and Tour de France commentator
Lance Armstrong, cyclist
Tour de France Web site
Villard-de-Lans Tour de France stage report