Although Lance Armstrong is on the brink of a third consecutive Tour de France victory, he admitted he is still fearful of the threat posed by his arch rival, German Jan Ullrich. Armstrong has triumphed over the mountain stages in the past six days, extending what was a lead of just several seconds to over five minutes during the five stages through the Alps and Pyrenees mountains and even Ullrich himself conceded defeat when he extended his hand to the Texan rider as they crossed the finish line at the end of Sunday's final mountain stage.
However, Armstrong admitted he is full of admiration for the German and that he remains fearful of Ullrich's capabilities. "I was surprised he put his hand out," said Armstrong about Sunday's incident. "He didn't tell me he was going to do it. No words were exchanged but I think when someone extends their hand it's a gesture of respect. I have a lot of respect for Jan Ullrich and a lot of admiration. I really like him. It's not a rivalry that's full of hatred. There's a serious amount of mutual respect there. To me he's the only rider who really scares me. If he has a good day or a good year he could be impossible to beat."
Armstrong also admitted that although he is now in with an excellent chance of matching Miguel Indurain's record of five successive Tour victories, he is only concentrating on the current race. "To tie a record or beat a record would never be my motivation. My career, this race, will be played out year by year. The record won't keep me here. Happiness will," he added.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
