Astana Cycling Team won the 4th stage in the Tour the France, a team time trial in Montpellier over 39 km (24 miles). In the process of winning today, Lance Armstrong just missed taking another maillot jaune by tenths of a second to Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) who remains in yellow since his opening time trial win on Sunday. Standing proudly on the podium the nine team riders smiled widely as they accepted their flowers, medallions and the congratulations of an appreciative crowd. With Cancellara and Armstrong tied, the next three slots on GC all belong to Team Astana with Alberto Contador in 3rd at 19-seconds back, Andreas Kloden 4th at 23-seconds off the pace and Levi Leipheimer rounding out the top five at 31 seconds behind. Haimar Zubeldia sits in 7th, Sergio Paulinho in 11th and Yaroslav Popovych in 18th, putting seven of nine team riders in the top 20.
Garmin and Team Astana were even on time at the first check point, just behind leaders Caisse d'Eparge by seven-seconds. By the 2nd time check Astana had grabbed the lead and were 23-seconds ahead of Garmin. Still in front at the 3rd check point the advantage had gone down to 17-seconds where it held through the finish. Gregory Rast and then Dmitriy Muravyev were the first team riders to drop off with the remaining seven powering on until the final kilometer when Yaroslav Popovych lost contact with the team of six. With Armstrong repeatedly taking long pulls throughout the stage, it was Contador who led through the last rise to the finish line with the clock stopping at 46:29 on the fifth man, who happened to be Armstrong.
read more
