Tour de France Day 4: Armstrong, Astana take the stage; spotlight on Tour hall of fame

July 7, 3:01 PMAtlanta Teachable Moments ExaminerCarol Aitken

Previous Next

2 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Atlanta Teachable Moments Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

After a four year absence from the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong returned today to accept the Stage 4 team trial trophy. Armstrong's team, Astana (pictured here), finished the 39 kilometer (that's 24.2 miles American) in 46 minutes 29 seconds. The win moves Armstrong from 10th 3rd to 2nd place in overall standings. Had he been just a second sooner, Armstrong would be wearing the yellow jersey for the eighth time in his Tour career, as well.

Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara (Pictured here) retains the "maillot juane" another day, and joked that the clock favored him -- "the  precision of Swiss timing." Cancellara's team, Saxo Bank, crossed the finish line third with a time of 47:09. Cancellara's standing moved from 2nd to 4th overall. 

(Photos Credit: CHRISTOPHE ENA)

Narrow and Bumpy and Slick! Oh, my!
Today's stage took the Tour competitors the long way home through and around Montpellier on narrow, twisting, bumpy, and slick roads.  Crosswinds caused some riders to lose control of their bikes, while others fell trying to maneuver the tight turns.

To see more great photos, visit KansasCity.com.

Tell Me More About Tour de France Champions! 
The first Tour was held at the beginning of the last century.  Bicycles were more affordable than cars, and quickly became a necessity rather than a luxury for men, women, and children.  Bicycles came in many shapes and sizes. 

Competition, being the father of invention, would soon dictate that racing should -- and would -- come next for the bicycle. Over time, lighter and faster models, trophies, point records, winning jerseys, numerical standings, electronic and mechanical improvements, and more, would emerge. 

Speaking of points, below are the top five rankings, and links to biographical info on the riders. 

Historical Tour de France rankings by total points
12600  Lance Armstrong   USA
11850  Eddy Merckx   BEL
11100  Bernard Hinault   FRA
09450  Jacques Anquetil   FRA
09000  Miquel Indurian   ESP

All-time top 25 biographies from Cycling Hall of Fame.net

Turn HERE for more 2009 Tour de France coverage (and bicycle knowledge) in the Examiner.

Read. Learn. Visit the Atlanta Educational Travel Examiner home page for unbearably interesting (and sometimes random) information about family-friendly destinations and events in Atlanta, around Georgia, throughout the southeast, and, just about anywhere else. Have a destination idea?  ATLeduTravlXmnr@gmail.com  You can subscribe to receive email alerts at the top of any Atlanta Educational Travel Examiner page.  Your address will never be shared or sold ... because Examiner.com won't even let me see it.  Thanx for stopping by!