Armstrong and Landis were arranging Landis' attempt to win the stage this morning, at the top of the last climb.
At the top of the final climb, Armstrong reached an arm over to Landis and gave him the green light to try for what would have been his first individual victory. The finish was 8 miles away, at the end of a long, speedy descent to Le Grand-Bornand in the French Alps.
"I said, 'How bad do you want to win a stage in the Tour de France?' He said, 'Real bad,'" Armstrong recounted later. "I said, 'How fast can you go downhill?' and he said, 'I go downhill real fast.' He said, 'Can I do it?' And I said, 'Sure you can do it.' Then I told him, 'Run like you stole something, Floyd.'"
Landis zoomed away but was quickly caught by German Jan Ullrich, Armstrong's big rival. Armstrong laid chase, followed by Basso and Kloden. Together, Ullrich, Basso and Kloden had been the only riders able to stay with the two Americans on the last climb up the Col de la Croix Fry.
Hurtling toward the finish, the five riders eyed each other and jostled for position. Armstrong, distinctive in his overall leader's yellow jersey, put his sunglasses back on and took a couple of sips from his drink bottle.
Just after they passed under a blue inflatable arch marking a half-mile to go, Kloden made his move, spurting suddenly ahead to build a slight lead through the final corners. The win seemed his.
But then, when it was almost too late, Armstrong hit the highest of his many gears. With a final glance over his shoulder and within sight of the line, he rocketed off in pursuit and found just enough speed to edge Kloden for the win.
Armstrong dedicated his win to Landis, who single-handedly led his boss up the grinding final section of the last climb. His pace was so punishing that none but Basso, Kloden and Ullrich - No. 2, 3 and 4 in the overall standings behind Armstrong - could follow.
"He was the man of the day," Armstrong said of Landis. "In the Tour de France, to go to the front of the climb and ride tempo and end up with five guys is very hard to do."
"I really wanted him to win the stage," he added. "But it didn't work out that way."
When they hugged at the finish, still perched on their bikes, Landis told Armstrong: "I couldn't go any more."
At the top of the final climb, Armstrong reached an arm over to Landis and gave him the green light to try for what would have been his first individual victory. The finish was 8 miles away, at the end of a long, speedy descent to Le Grand-Bornand in the French Alps.
"I said, 'How bad do you want to win a stage in the Tour de France?' He said, 'Real bad,'" Armstrong recounted later. "I said, 'How fast can you go downhill?' and he said, 'I go downhill real fast.' He said, 'Can I do it?' And I said, 'Sure you can do it.' Then I told him, 'Run like you stole something, Floyd.'"
Landis zoomed away but was quickly caught by German Jan Ullrich, Armstrong's big rival. Armstrong laid chase, followed by Basso and Kloden. Together, Ullrich, Basso and Kloden had been the only riders able to stay with the two Americans on the last climb up the Col de la Croix Fry.
Hurtling toward the finish, the five riders eyed each other and jostled for position. Armstrong, distinctive in his overall leader's yellow jersey, put his sunglasses back on and took a couple of sips from his drink bottle.
Just after they passed under a blue inflatable arch marking a half-mile to go, Kloden made his move, spurting suddenly ahead to build a slight lead through the final corners. The win seemed his.
But then, when it was almost too late, Armstrong hit the highest of his many gears. With a final glance over his shoulder and within sight of the line, he rocketed off in pursuit and found just enough speed to edge Kloden for the win.
Armstrong dedicated his win to Landis, who single-handedly led his boss up the grinding final section of the last climb. His pace was so punishing that none but Basso, Kloden and Ullrich - No. 2, 3 and 4 in the overall standings behind Armstrong - could follow.
"He was the man of the day," Armstrong said of Landis. "In the Tour de France, to go to the front of the climb and ride tempo and end up with five guys is very hard to do."
"I really wanted him to win the stage," he added. "But it didn't work out that way."
When they hugged at the finish, still perched on their bikes, Landis told Armstrong: "I couldn't go any more."