... will attempt to capture the Tour de France to become the first man to win both races in the same year since the late Marco Pantani in 1998. The 31-year-old Russian impressed in claiming the biggest win of his career in Italy in May and turns ...

... rivalries between seven-time champion Lance Armstrong and his challengers: 1997 winner Jan Ullrich, 1998 champ Marco Pantani and Basso, the 2005 runner-up. Following Armstrong's retirement three years ago, the path was cleared for a ...

... wins, drawing front-page coverage in the soccer-focused Gazzetta dello Sport. The rider has said his idol was Marco Pantani, who in 1998 became the last Italian to win the Tour. Pantani faced doping allegations throughout his career and ...

... Lance Armstrong has the title in sight. Armstrong has a 4-minute, 55-second lead after finishing second to Marco Pantani in Thursday's 93-mile stage to Mont Ventoux. The 28-year-old Texan has already proved himself as the most ...

... Defending champion Lance Armstrong stretched his lead at the Tour de France by 50 percent on a day when Italy's Marco Pantani captured the 15th stage. Armstrong finished 50 seconds behind in fourth place, but he extended his advantage over ...

... to have knocked the confidence out of his main challengers. "Armstrong is on another planet," 1998 Tour winner Marco Pantani said. "He pushed me to the limit when I wanted to follow him." Germany's Jan Ullrich is seen by the U.S Postal ...

... relinquished his yellow jersey, but finished well ahead of Germany's Jan Ullrich, Switzerland's Alex Zulle and Italy's Marco Pantani, all considered possible threats to his title. France's Laurent Jalabert finished third, 13 seconds behind the ...

... who won in 1997 and finished second the last two years, was sidelined by a knee injury in May. And former champion Marco Pantani, mired in drug problems, will also be missing, leaving few serious threats for Armstrong. Also, Armstrong probably ...

... de France. Armstrong increased his overall lead to nearly five minutes, losing by inches to another former champ, Marco Pantani, at the climax of the 12th stage. Armstrong's nearest challenger, Jan Ullrich, lost 29 seconds, and more to ...

... Jan Ullrich, who had questioned whether Armstrong really was the best cyclist in 1999, when Ullrich and 1998 winner Marco Pantani of Italy didn't compete. "Armstrong is a worthy champion. He was the strongest man, and he met our every attack ...