Armstrong unscathed in fall
ANGERS, France, July 10 (UPI) -- Tom Boonen of Belgium won the sixth stage of the Tour de France Friday while Lance Armstrong was among a host of riders who hit the pavement.
Armstrong, seeking his record sixth straight tour title, quickly rebounded from his spill early in the stage and was part of the main pack that finished just behind Boonen.
Armstrong, therefore, remained in sixth place overall -- more than nine minutes off the lead of Thomas Voeckler. None of those in front of Armstrong is expected to challenge him for the overall title.
Boonen, riding for the Quick Step Davitamon team, edged out Australian Stuart O'Grady and German Erik Zabel in a sprint finish after a breakaway bid from Spanish rider Juan Antonio Flecha failed just one kilometer from home.
Flecha had been one of six riders to launch an early breakaway, but as his fellow escapees were reeled in, the Spaniard made a solo bid for glory in the ride from Bonneval to Angers.
Voeckler also fell as part of a huge pileup less than a kilometer from the finish.
Tomjanovich signs on with Lakers
LOS ANGELES, July 10 (UPI) -- After failing to lure Mike Krzyzewski from the collegiate ranks, the Los Angeles Lakers have succeeded in getting Rudy Tomjanovich back to the bench.
Tomjanovich, who guided the Houston Rockets to a pair of NBA titles, agreed Friday to coach the Lakers.
The Lakers officially will name Tomjanovich coach at a news conference Saturday.
Tomjanovich, 55, succeeds Phil Jackson, who led the Lakers to three titles in five years. After losing to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, the Lakers announced on June 18 that Jackson would not return.
Out of coaching since leaving the Rockets in May 2003 -- two months after being diagnosed with bladder cancer -- Tomjanovich inherits a team in turmoil.
Superstar center Shaquille O'Neal has demanded a trade and Kobe Bryant is an unrestricted free agent facing a sexual assault trial in Colorado. Karl Malone and Derek Fisher also are free agents.
While Tomjanovich was one of the first candidates interested, the Lakers also targeted Krzyzewski, who has won three national titles at Duke. But Krzyzewski announced Monday he would remain with the Blue Devils.
Phelps qualifies for another Olympic event
LONG BEACH, Calif., July 10 (UPI) -- Swimming superstar Michael Phelps qualified for his second Olympic event in as many tries Friday night.
Phelps, who hopes to eventually swim in six individual Olympic races, captured the 200-meter freestyle at the United States Swimming Trials.
He turned in a time of 1:46.27 -- a quarter of a second off his American record. Klete Keller finished second to grab the other 200 freestyle berth on the American team.
Phelps won the 400-meter individual medley in world record time Wednesday night. He will also try to qualify in the 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke, 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly in a meet that runs through next Wednesday.
By swimming in an additional three relay events, Phelps' ultimate goal is to eclipse the record of seven Olympic gold medals set by Mark Spitz in 1972.
Aaron Peirsol and world record holder Lenny Krayzelburg earned Olympic spots Friday night in the men's 100 backstroke and the top two finishers in the women's 100 breaststroke were Amanda Beard and Tara Kirk.
Cardinals extend lead to seven games
ST. LOUIS, July 10 (UPI) -- Jason Marquis came within three outs of his first career complete game Friday night in helping St. Louis down the Chicago Cubs, 6-1.
Albert Pujols homered as the Cardinals extended their winning streak to seven games.
A surprise since coming over in a trade from Atlanta that included J.D. Drew, Marquis (9-4) gave up one run and nine hits in eight-plus innings to match the longest outing of his career.
He walked two and struck out two in improving to 6-0 in his last seven starts.
The Cardinals ran their home winning streak to nine games and opened a seven-game lead over the second-place Cubs in the NL Central. The teams meet just four more times.
Pujols, Edgar Renteria, Jim Edmonds and Tony Womack all hit solo homers for the Cardinals, who have outscored the opposition by 40-11 in winning the first seven games of their nine-game homestand.
Gordon captures fourth straight pole
JOLIET, Ill., July 10 (UPI) -- Four-time NASCAR series champion Jeff Gordon won his fourth straight Nextel Cup pole Friday, grabbing the top spot for Sunday's Tropicana 400.
The last driver to win four straight poles was Bill Elliott in the summer of 1985.
"I've had some good streaks in the past, but this one is pretty amazing right now," Gordon said. "At this time last year, they were trying to figure out when I was going to win a race. Now, I've won four poles in a row. I want to maintain this streak as long as I can."
Gordon's Chevrolet Monte Carlo paced the field with a record lap of 186.942 miles per hour around the 1 1/2-mile Chicagoland Speedway. That knocked rookie Dodge Intrepid driver Kasey Kahne off the pole after he drove a lap at 186.871 mph.
Gordon's teammate, Jimmie Johnson, was third at 186.290 mph followed by another Hendrick Motorsports driver, rookie Brian Vickers.
