American Tyler Hamilton, expected to be one of five-times champion Lance Armstrong's biggest rivals in the Tour de France, abandoned the race today. Hamilton, hampered by back problems for a week, the result of a crash in the first week, dropped out halfway through the 205.5-km 13th stage.
The Phonak team leader lost nearly three-and-a-half minutes to his compatriot and friend Armstrong yesterday, the first of the mountain stages. Hamilton, who finished fourth overall last year after riding most of the race with a broken collarbone, had dropped to 20th in the standings.
Filed by Mark O'Neill-Cummins
