Revel, France – Lance Armstrong claimed his 79th yellow jersey Wednesday at the Tour de France in a stage won by Discovery Channel teammate Paolo Savoldelli.
Armstrong tied Bernard Hinault, the last Frenchman to win the Tour in 1985, for the second-most yellow jerseys – and should overtake him as he closes in on a seventh consecutive race victory Sunday.
Armstrong came into this Tour with 66 jerseys and, if he holds the lead to Paris, will retire with 83. Eddy Merckx won 111 in the 1960s and 1970s, but Armstrong has more Tour titles – a record six compared with five for Merckx, Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Jacques Anquetil.
Savoldelli’s victory in the 17th stage, the longest this year, was the third for Armstrong’s Discovery Channel team at this year’s race. George Hincapie won a stage in the Pyrenees and the squad won the team time trial.
Hincapie and Savoldelli are the first of Armstrong’s teammates to win a stage in the Tour since the Texan’s run of victories began in 1999. Armstrong finished in a small group 22 minutes and 28 seconds behind Savoldelli and his overall lead remained unchanged.
Armstrong got the news about Savoldelli’s win from his team director over his race radio.
“It was surreal,” Armstrong said. “We all looked at each other and said: ‘Did he just say that Paolo won the stage?’ It keeps getting better.”
Savoldelli also won his second Giro d’Italia title this year, overcoming injuries and health problems that almost ended his career.
“It’s been a very lucky year for me,” he said.
Savoldelli was part of a breakaway group that built up a lead of more than 24 minutes over Armstrong’s following pack. Because the riders ahead were no threat to his overall lead, Armstrong did not give chase.
Instead, the main pack of riders took it easy for much of the 148.8-mile trek across southern France from Pau to Revel. Their average speed over the second and third hours of the stage was less than 25 miles an hour – slower than usual.
Only toward the end did Armstrong and other top riders up the pace.
Savoldelli’s time was 5 hours, 41 minutes and 19 seconds, riding at an average of 26.1 miles per hour.
Armstrong’s overall lead over Ivan Basso of Italy, who also finished in his group, stayed at 2:46. Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark is 3:09 back. Armstrong’s Discovery squad is also leading the Tour’s team standings.
