SAINT-MAIXENT-L'ECOLE, France, July 25 (UPI) -- Jan Ullrich sliced two important seconds off the lead of Lance Armstrong Friday at the Tour de France.
The race enters the critical individual time trial Saturday before finishing in Paris on the Champs-Elysees.
Ullrich is second to the four-time defending champion, who finished the 126.45-mile 18th stage from Bordeaux in the peleton 24:05 behind a group of 16 that broke clear a third of the way through the race.
The 1997 Tour de France champion dropped his deficit from 67 seconds to 65. The penultimate day could be Saturday. Armstrong, who has worn the leader's yellow jersey since Stage 8, predicts a record time during the flat 30.45-mile sprint from Pornic to Nantes.
"Tomorrow, I feel ready to go," he said.
American Tyler Hamilton held on to the sixth spot, continuing to
ride with a broken collarbone. He is 6:37 behind Armstrong.
If Ullrich can cut into Armstrong's lead, the Tour would finish with a thrilling sprint down the Champs-Elysees, where there is a 20-second bonus available.
