2010 Tour de France Stage Results 4 - Armstrong at #18 Spot

The 2010 Tour de France is here.  Lance Armstrong and Le Tour de France 2010 are two hot topics, especially for cyclists in America following this event. The Tour de France continues on, and stage four results are in.  The Tour de France Maillot Jaune is still on the back of Fabian Cancellara, who has been with the coveted jersey for three out of four stages in the tour.  Many people were a little disappointed that yesterday's stage 4 didn't bring the same pomp and circumstance as the third stage, when the cobblestone tripped up some of the masses.

American Lance Armstrong is at the #18 slot after getting a flat tire on the cobblestone.  He's looking upward on the leaderboard to Contador, his arch rival.  He's 2 minutes behind the leader - which is hours in cycling speak.

Of course anything can change at any moment.  Armstrong will have to shave his time down by 50 seconds or more to get a lead on Alberto Contador.

Of course, the 4th stage kept Armstrong even - which is the only thing to hope for at this time.  Armstrong needs to hope that his arch nemesis can get  caught up behind a wreck or have some issues on the road.  Otherwise, he risks not reaching the top of the leaderboards in the race.  There's still a long way to go, so here's to hoping for the best.

Today the Tour continues. The real competition will unravel as we make it to the mountain stages in the race. Still, Armstrong has to shave at least 2 minutes off his current time to catch up with Cancellara and over 50 seconds to eclipse his arch rival.  If anyone can do it, he can. 

Le Tour 2010 and Lance Armstrong's "Final" Tour de France?

Le Tour 2010 is expected to be Lance Armstrong's last Tour de France run ... again.  The American cyclist has stated that he was retiring in the past, only to resurface.  The 38 year old finished third during the 2009 Tour and has won seven Tour titles in his career.

During the 2010 Tour de France, Lance Armstrong will be racing with Team Radio Shack in its inaugural year.  A win on the part of Armstrong will be a great feat for both the athlete and the team.

Previously, Armstrong raced with the US Post Office team.

Where Lance has an edge over his competitors is in the mountains.  The mountainous regions are what make or break the various competitors. The flat surfaces aren't where the key competitors win- but making a mistake where it's easy is where races can be lost. 

This year the competitors will have to navigate not only mountains but also cobblestone roads.  In addition, the race doesn't take place exclusively in France.  On July 3rd it will get underway in Brussels. 

Having watched several Tours- and even being present in Paris for the finale of the 2002 Tour, I must say that my favorite part of the tour is when the cyclists make it to the Champs Elysees in Pairs and zip around the various sites of the City of Lights.  This is where the winner of the entire Tour - not just the stage - is determined.

Who will win the Maillot Jaune? Stay tuned daily as each stage has it's own yellow jersey.