CLUSES, France, July 25 (UPI) -- Just 227 miles to go for Lance Armstrong and a fourth consecutive championship in the world's most prestigious cycling race.
Armstrong maintained his overall lead in the Tour de France Thursday while Dario Frigo of Italy won the race's 17th stage.
Barring accident or injury, the 30-year-old Texan likely has to finish in the pack during the final three stages to join France's Jacques Anquetil (1961-64) and Bernard Hinault (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985), Belgium's Eddie Merckx (1969-72) and Spain's Miguel Indurain (1991-95) as the only cyclists to win
the Tour more than three times.
Frigo triumphed over Belgium's Mario Aerts and Italy's Giuseppe Guerini in a sprint to win the 88.23-mile stage from Aime to Cluses in four hours, two minutes and 27 seconds.
The three riders took charge of the stage about halfway through, having led since just before the second climb at the Col des Saisies.
The 28-year-old Frigo became the first Italian to capture a stage in the 2002 Tour.
Spain's Joseba Beloki remained in second overall and Lithuania's Raimondas Rumsas stayed in third.
However, Santiago Botero of Colombia climbed from seventh to fourth in the overall standings after finishing in 11th in the final stage in the Alps.
Armstrong already is recognized as one of the world's most courageous athletes after battling back from life-threatening testicular cancer to capture the 1999 event. In 2000, he cemented his place among cycling's all-time greats, becoming the first American since three-time champion Greg LeMond (1986,
1989 and 1990) to claim back-to-back titles.
Friday's stage is a 109.67-mile leg from Cluses to
Bourg-en-Bresse. The Tour finishes Sunday on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
