Classy Armstrong first again

American Lance Armstrong stamped his authority on the Tour de France by winning the penultimate stage time-trial from Regnie-Durette today.

The US Postal Service rider was already little more than a yellow smudge on the horizon for those behind him on overall classification, and today he crushed his opponents by nearly a minute over the 50km time-trial.

Lithuanian Raimondo Rumsas finished second for Lampre Daikin and is third overall, as he moved closer to Once-Eroski’s Joseba Beloki in second place.

Scot David Millar set the early pace in the time-trial, and finished a creditable fourth to go with his stage 13 win a week ago.

None of the jerseys changed hands, with Spaniard Ivan Basso of the Fassa Bortolo team still comfortably holding the white kit of the best young rider and Lotto’s Robbie McEwen, from Australia, is in the top sprinter’s green jersey.

Frenchman Laurent Jalabert has effectively won the climber’s polka-dot jersey with all of the serious climbing completed - he only needs to finish the race to win it for the third year in a row.

Armstrong will go into tomorrow’s final stage with a massive lead of seven minutes and 35 seconds, and the main interest will be on who finishes second and who secures the green jersey.