Armstrong feels heat

LANCE ARMSTRONG admits the blazing heat on this year’s Tour de France has made it as tough as any he has competed in.

The American is in possession of the race leader’s yellow jersey and on course to become only the second man to win five Tours in a row.

“It has been really hot for several days,” Armstrong said. “I have never known so many days like this in a row on the Tour. I’m trying to drink lots of water, even to over-hydrate myself. But I’ll still train on the rest day.”

After enjoying a first day off yesterday after 11 consecutive days of racing, 31-year-old Armstrong is planning ahead to tomorrow’s Friday’s time trial where he could gain some valuable minutes on his pursuers; although first comes today’s Thurs stage from Narbonne to Toulouse.

“It will be the most important time-trial of my life. But in the meantime I will be spending time with my family in Narbonne.”

Armstrong’s feat of winning four Tours after surviving testicular cancer has made him a cycling legend.

But fellow American Tyler Hamilton, who lies in fifth place just one minute and 52 seconds behind the leader at the race’s halfway stage, is becoming the darling of the Tour for his lionhearted performances with a collarbone broken in two places.

Hamilton was caught in the massive pile-up at Meaux at the end of stage one on the first Sunday of the centenary Tour and, fighting back tears, admitted to journalists his race was over.

However, the following day he changed his mind just 45 minutes before the start of the second stage and his courage has been amazing the fans who have lined the route ever since, his shoulder area bound tightly.