Armstrong lead still solid with 2 runs to go
BOURG-EN-BRESSE CLUSES, France, July 26 (UPI) -- American Lance Armstrong maintained his lead of more than five minutes and Norway's Thor Hushovd won the 18th stage in the Tour de France Friday.
Armstrong finished with the peleton Friday, over 11 minutes behind Hushovd, and is five minutes and six seconds ahead of Spain's Joseba Beloki for the overall lead with two stages remaining in the world's most prestigious cycling race.
Hushovd was just in front of Frenchman Christophe Mengin and Denmark's Jakob Storm Piil for his first career stage victory.
Barring accident or injury, the 30-year-old Texan likely has to just finish in the pack during the final two stages to win.
Saturday's stage is a 30.07-mile individual time trial from Regnie-Durette to Macon. It includes a 1,000-foot climb and a 1,300-foot descent. The Tour finishes Sunday on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
Spurs sign Rose to multi-year contract
SAN ANTONIO, July 26 (UPI) -- Continuing the trend of retaining their own players, the San Antonio Spurs signed forward Malik Rose to a multi-year deal on Friday.
Terms were not disclosed, but the San Antonio Express-News reported that Rose received a seven-year contract worth $42 million with an opt-out clause after the 2006-07 season.
Rose, 27, is the third free agent and probably the most important to re-sign with the Spurs, following forwards Bruce Bowen and Danny Ferry. Although undersized at 6-7, Rose uses his 255-pound frame effectively inside and is San Antonio's top reserve.
With center David Robinson retiring after the 2002-03 season and NBA Most Valuable Player Tim Duncan entering the last year of his contract, the Spurs understood Rose's value to the team.
Ex-Giants fullback Mel Triplett dead
TOLEDO, Ohio, July 26 (UPI) -- Mel Triplett, a starting fullback on the New York Giants' 1956 championship team, died on Thursday. He was 71.
Cause of death was unknown. Triplett spent the last several months in a nursing home while suffering from diabetes.
Triplett scored the first touchdown in New York's 47-7 rout of Chicago in the 1956 NFL Championship Game. He played eight seasons in the NFL -- the first six with the Giants and last two with the Minnesota Vikings -- before retiring in 1962.
Dier leads by three in Dutch Open
HILVERSUM, Netherlands, July 26 (UPI) -- Tobias Dier of Germany followed his record-tying 10-under-par 60 with a 67 Friday and a three-stroke lead at the halfway point of the Duitch Open.
Dier had a 13-under-par 127, three better than Jamie Spence and Peter Leonard who had 64 and 63, respectively, fpr 130 amd 1- imder. Another shot back was Mark Roe, who had a 64 Friday.
Dier had held a five-shot margin after his remarkable opening day performance that equaled the lowest 18-hole score ever shot on the European Tour.
Williams, Kournikova win to set up match
STANFORD, Calif., July 26 (UPI) -- Top seed Venus Williams wasted little time setting up a quarterfinal clash with Anna Kournikova at the $565,000 Bank of the West Classic.
Williams needed just 58 minutes Thursday night to dispose of fellow American Meghann Shaughnessy, 6-4, 6-1, in a second-round matchup.
Earlier, Kournikova reached her first WTA quarterfinal in more than 4 1/2 months with a 7-5, 6-4 triumph over Indonesia's Wynne Prakusya.
A three-time winner on tour this year, Williams is hungry for a victory at Taube Tennis Center. She has not captured a trophy since winning at Amelia Island in April.
Meanwhile, Kournikova may be playing her best tennis since 2000 when she finished the year ranked eighth in the world. But, Williams has dominated Kournikova in their all-time series, winning all seven contests.
