Jan Ullrich believes Lance Armstrong should still be regarded as a seven-time Tour de France champion and that the results should not have been removed from the record books.

Over the next three months, it will be fascinating to watch how he shapes this new generation.

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche has defended his decision to move to a team run by one of the sport’s most notorious dopers during his own career.

SIX-TIME winner Lance Armstrong lost the Tour de France yellow jersey after another dramatic day of climbing which handed Germany’s Jens Voigt the race lead for only the second time in his career.

Jan Ullrich of Germany made further inroads into the overall leadership of Lance Armstrong in a centenary Tour de France which is shaping up to be one of the closest in history.