Italy’s Alessandro Petacchi won the first stage of the Tour de France, a 223.5-km ride from Rotterdam on Sunday.
Australia’s Mark Renshaw was second and Norway’s Thor Hushovd came home third.
Swiss Fabian Cancellara retained the overall lead … Details
Lance Armstrong returned to the Tour de France in 2009 after four years away from cycling’s most prestigious race. At the age of 37, Armstrong rode his way to a third-place finish. And though it was one of the great athletic performances of our time, it paled in comparison to Armstrong’s seven consecutive victories in what could be the world’s most grueling sporting event.Â
Entering the 2010 cycling season, Armstrong was focused on improving his position in this year’s Tour as he tried to dethrone Alberto Contador, the rival and former teammate who won last year’s race. That commitment filtered down to one of Armstrong’s sponsors, an outfit named Giro Helmets. The Santa Cruz, California, company had recently … Details