Armstrong Makes History -With Dramatic Tour Win Fifth Consecutive Victory Ties Indurain's Record
He makes rest of us look like whiners!
He didn’t just BEAT cancer,he stomped that bastard into the ground!


PARIS - Sipping champagne to celebrate, Lance Armstrong won his hardest but sweetest Tour de France title Sunday - a record-tying fifth straight victory that places him alongside the greatest cyclists ever.

The 31-year-old Texan and Spanish great Miguel Indurain are now the only two riders to win the sport's most grueling and prestigious race five times in a row - a record Armstrong plans to break next year.

Savoring his feat on a largely processional final stage past distinguished Paris landmarks, Armstrong sipped from a flute of champagne and toasted his achievement with a "Cheers!" as he rode, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey that he had so ardently coveted.

"It's a dream, really a dream," Armstrong said in French after climbing the podium while "The Star-Spangled Banner" rang over the Champs-Elysees. "I love cycling, I love my job and I will be back for a sixth."

The indefatigable Armstrong overcame illness, crashes, dehydration, team and equipment problems and uncharacteristic bad days during the 23-day, 2,125-mile clockwise slog around France to win by his smallest margin - 61 seconds over five-time runner-up Jan Ullrich of Germany.

A perfectionist, Armstrong said the closeness of the victory was already motivating him to come roaring back in 2004.

"You have to do like him to beat him. He's certainly a star, but I don't know if he's a superstar. It's a new generation of riders. They have radios, they work more closely in teams. It's a different era," he said.


Armstrong wilted in scorching heat that day in the south of France, hanging onto second place but losing about 11 pounds. His performance prompted speculation that at 31, he was too old to win again.