SPORTS
WWW.KANSAN.COM
TOUR DE FRANCE
JULY 20-JULY 26,2005
PAGE 24
Armstrong cherishes last legs of his Tour
Alessandro Trovati/THE ASSOCIATED pppce
Overall leader, six-time Tour de France winner and leader of the Discovery Channel cycling team, Lance Armstrong of Austin, Texas, waves from the podium after the 16th stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Mourenx and Pau, southwestern France, July 19.
BY JOHN LEICESTER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PAU, France — As Lance Armstrong closes in on a seventh straight Tour de France title, the high mountains safely behind him and the finishing straight almost in sight, just one thing is missing: a daily stage win in his final Tour.
In all of his record six victories, Armstrong always won at least one individual stage. Not this year. But he's hoping to set that straight later this week, in the time trial before the final ride into Paris on Sunday.
Even Armstrong, who doesn't like to tempt fate by claiming a win in advance, acknowledges that "the odds are good" that he'll have the winner's yellow jersey — the famed maillot jaune — on his back when he retires from cycling at the end of the race.
Completing the last of three days in the Pyrenees on July 19 left just a mostly flat stage, two medium mountain stages and the time trial for Armstrong to negotiate before the final victorious pedal up Paris' Champs-Elysees.
Armstrong's main rivals tried testing him on two rigorous climbs during the
16th stage on July 19 from Mourenx to Pau. But he brushed off the challenges, easily matching their uphill accelerations to defend his comfortable lead.
"The amount of support is great this year," he said. "If there's 1 in 100 that are negative, don't dwell on that, think of the 99 that are positive, and remember this Tour, remember this last week, remember these last days."
"It will never be like this again for me," he added. "I will never be in yellow again, and that's a special thing, so I need to cherish those moments."
BIG 12 FOOTBALL
Missouri mourns, moves on
BY ALAN SCHER ZAGIER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri football coaches and players attended the funeral of Aaron O'Neal, 19, in his hometown of St. Louis on July 18. A day later, they were back at work, quietly resuming the summer drills that were suspended indefinitely after O'Neal's July 12 collapse on Faurot Field.
About 30 players attended the 7 a.m. voluntary workout, which was supervised by Missouri athletic trainers and conditioning specialists rather than football coaches, who are barred from such sessions under NCAA rules.
The session was closed to reporters, but players could be seen through the gates of Memorial
O'Neal
Stadium doing light stretches, full-field sprints and agility drills.
O'Neal's teammates — not Coach Gary Pinkel decided to quickly move ahead in preparation for the fall season, a team spokesman said. Fall practices officially begin in early August, with the first game in Kansas City on Sept. 3 against Arkansas State.
"It was the team's decision," said athletics spokesman Chad Moller. "They were really anxious to try to get back to somewhat of a normal routine. This is the first step."
Players approached after the morning workout declined comment, and Pinkel's office referred questions to Moller.
Also missing July 19 were any signs of O'Neal's death, including the flowers, sympathy cards, banners, autographed footballs and other remembrances left behind at a makeshift shrine at the stadium's front gate in the days after he died.
Moller said the items were removed to guard against theft or rain damage.
Weekly Specials @ Kansas.com
Weekly Specials @ kansan.com
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues
MUG CLUB: $4.00 filled mug, $1 refills, $2.00 double refills $1.50 Jager Bombs
$2.50 Any UV flavored vodka-mixers $1.50 ANY bombs (Jager, T, Cherry)
$2.50 Bacardi mixers $1.50 Bombs (Jager, T, Cherry)
$3.00 Domestic pitchers $5.00 Specialty & Import pitchers $2 Absolut mixers
$2 "ANY TAP" $2 Well mixers
1/2 PRICE EVERYTHING! (except the wings, of course) 10¢ WINGS
$1.50 Wells
$2 Vodka/Red Bulls
$3.00 JUMBO Long Islands
$2.50 Domestic Draws
$1.50 T-Bombs
$3.00 JUMBO Long Islands
$2.50 Bacardi Mixers
$1.50 T-Bombs
$2.00 Wells, Calls, & ANY bottled beer
$1.00 Wells
$2.00 Calls or Domestic bottles
$3.00 Import & Microbrew bottles