Armstrong takes TT; Beloki fights off strong ride by Rumsas

Lance Armstrong increased his overall lead in the Tour de France after winning the 19th and penultimate stage, a 50km individual time trial from Regnie-Durette to here on Saturday.

Armstrong, who held a 5min 06sec lead over Spaniard Joseba Beloki prior to the stage, now rides into Paris for Sunday's final 20th stage with a 7:17 lead over the ONCE rider.

Beloki's main concern was trying to keep Lithuanian Raimondas Rumsas from stealing his second place overall, however he did enough to retain a one-minute lead over the Lampre rider.

Armstrong, who picked up his fourth stage win of the race and 15th overall, was the biggest winner of the day.
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1. Lance Armstrong (USA), U.S. Postal, at 78:34:25.
2. Joseba Beloki (Spa), ONCE, at 07:17.
3. Raimondas Rumsas (Lit), Lampre-Daikin, at 08:17.
4. Santiago Botero (Col), Kelme-Costa Blanca, at 13:10.
5. Igor Gonzalez Galdeano (Spa), ONCE, at 13:54.
6. Jose Azevedo (Por), ONCE, at 15:44.
7. Francisco Mancebo (Spa), iBanesto.com, at 16:05.
8. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Rabobank, at 17:11.
9. Roberto Heras (Spa), U.S. Postal, at 17:18.
10. Carlos Sastre (Spa), CSC-Tiscali, at 19:05.

Tomorrow's stage is a largely ceremonial ride into Paris with a mass sprint at the end. Lance will let the sprinters play and then he will do the victory lap. Four in a row! Five? Stay tuned next year.