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Article: Ullrich gives Armstrong a run for his money in 2003 Tour de France
- Article from:
- AP Worldstream
- Article date:
- July 21, 2003
- Author:
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Dateline: LUZ-ARDIDEN, France
At the outset of the Tour de France, Jan Ullrich said victory in cycling'
s premier race was beyond his grasp.
Now it's just a minute away.
The golden-haired, boyish-faced German cyclist is the closest anybody
has ever come to toppling Lance Armstrong: Ullrich is probably the
only opponent whom the reigning Tour champion truly fears.
In a dazzling display of energy and gumption, Ullrich trounced Armstrong
in Friday's time trial _ a crucial race against the clock that Armstrong
had been expected to dominate. The next day, Ullrich defeated the
exhausted-looking Texan in the treacherous Pyrenees.
For the first time since 1999, the untouchable ...