Armstrong is definitely weaker than during the last years. In all his last years he always had a five minutes advantage before the second set of mountain stages. Though 'weakness' in his class of cycling is a very relative word. Most cyclists would wish that only once on a good day they'd be as good as Armstrong on a weak day. Perhaps he tells after the Tour whether his fall in the first stage did hurt more than he tried to show or what else it was. There are rumours that he has stomach problems. But you could ask him and he'd smile and say he never felt better.

We now know that Ullrich had fever the day he had lost time in the Alps. He didn't tell then fearing an early attack. He even sent one of his equipiers to the Tour physician feigning health problems during the race. The man brought the pills he got to Ullrich who didn't want to be seen close to the doctors car.

The European newspapers now expect Ullrich to win and the way he looked today I'd say he will. But the way Armstrong did come back after Ullrich's attack showed this man is not ready at all to let slip away the yellow jersey without a hell of a fight. Fifteen seconds between the first two with the third rider in the form of his life being less than a minute away promises two more exiting days in the Pyrenees.

Wolfgang