THE UNIVERSITY HAILY KANSAN WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009
SPORTS
27
CYCLING
Armstrong and teammate Contador finish strong
BY JAMEY KEATEN AND SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Press
BOURG-SAINT:MAURICE, France Lance Armstrong mustered one of his strongest showings yet at this Tour de France on Tuesday, a dazzling burst of acceleration from yesteryear that allowed him to keep second place.
The seven-time champion was so buoyed by the performance that he suggested to The Associated Press he could still contend for the yellow jersey if teammate and race leader Alberto Contador has a "bad day"
Armstrong, speaking after the 16th stage in the Alps, stressed he didn't expect that to happen and only a "big shake-up" would allow for such a scenario.
Contador, the 2007 Tour winner, had to fight to retain the overall lead in the 99-mile stage from the Swiss town of Martigny to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France, which was won by Mikel Astarloza of Spain.
As Contador tried to keep pace with two attackers on the final climb, the 37-year-old Texan lagged. But after dropping back at least 35 seconds, he popped out of his saddle and recovered lost ground.
"I had no choice... So I waited until we had a steeper section and then I got away with an acceleration," he said.
Contador was impressed, but not surprised.
"It's easy to explain — he's a very great rider," said Contador, who leads his Astana teammate by 1.37. "He was in the past, and he showed it once again."
Contador and Armstrong finished in a small group of race leaders behind Astarloza. The route featured the highest peak this year, the snow-capped Grand-Saint-Bernard pass on the Swiss-Italian border, at 8,113 feet, and its sister the Petit-Saint-Bernard pass, on the Italian-French border.
Armstrong says he's feeling better on his bike than he did during Sunday's entree into the Alps, when Contador dusted him and the entire pack on the ride up to the Swiss ski station of Verbier.
"I made some changes to my position yesterday — I raised the seat height," he said. "So in general, I was pedaling better today."
Armstrong, back at the Tour after $3\frac{1}{2}$ years of retirement, committed himself to help Contador win the three-week race after the Spaniard took the yellow jersey that day.
INVESTIGATION
McNair's toxicology report shows high alcohol level
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Authorities say former NFL star Steve McNair had a blood-alcohol level twice Tennessee's legal limit for driving when his girlfriend shot him to death.
Tennessee Assistant Medical Examiner Feng Li said a toxicology report showed a trace amount of marijuana in the body of Sahel Kazemi. Police say the 20-yearold Kazemi shot McNair July 4 in a Nashville condo before killing herself.
Police say McNair was likely asleep when he was shot twice in the head and twice in the chest. Li said there was no way to tell from the report how long before McNair's death he had been drinking.
Kazemi was arrested for drunken driving in Nashville two days before the shooting. Police video of the arrest showed her telling the officer that she was high.
SUSPENSION
Vick finishes his sentence with hopes of NFL return HAMPTON, Va. — Suspended NFL star Michael Vick ended his federal dogfighting sentence, freeing him to lobby for a return to the field.
Vick's attorney Lawrence Woodward told The Associated Press outside Vick's suburban Virginia home that the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback had been released from federal custody as scheduled.