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Armstrong almost back in yellow

Author: Rose Young
Date: 09/07/2009

Lance Armstrong came within a whisker of reclaiming the leader's yellow jersey in the Tour de France following the team time trial.

The seven-time winner, who returns to the event following a two-year absence, was part of the Astana team which dominated the third stage around Montpellier.

Astana won the 39km team time trial by 18 seconds from Garmin-Slipstream with Saxo Bank in third.

However, despite the team performance resulting in Armstrong clawing back the 40-second lead held by Fabian Cancellara from team Saxo Bank, he remained behind the Swiss rider by two tenths of a second in the general classification.

Armstrong's Astana team-mate and online betting favourite Alberto Contador is third, 19 seconds back, with British duo Bradley Wiggins and David Millar both inside the top ten.

"We thought we had it," said Armstrong, after Astana recorded a time of 46 minutes and 29 seconds.

"Based on the time splits on the course we thought we were close or thereabouts but, hey, that's cycling."

In cricket, just four overs were bowled during a rain-affected first day's play between Warwickshire and Sussex at Edgbaston.

Warwickshire ended the day on 5-0 in the Division One encounter.

Elsewhere, Glamorgan are 155-3 after day one of their Division Two game against Essex at Chelmsford.

But rain was also the winner at Northampton as Northamptonshire reached 23-1 against Derbyshire.

Jose Maria Olazabal and Jean van de Velde are two names likely to be missing from the Open Championship start sheet after failing to claim places in the field at Turnberry during final qualifying.

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Two-time Masters champion Olazabal and 1999 runner-up van de Velde were the two major names to miss out at Kilmarnock Barassie and Glasgow Gailes.

Three other former Ryder Cup players - Barry Lane, Ronan Rafferty and Steve Richardson - were also unable to break into the top few places to guarantee entry to next week's Major championship.

Olazabal and van de Velde must now secure a high enough finish at this week's Scottish Open on the European Tour if they are to tee it up at Turnberry.

Meanwhile, Elliot and Lloyd Saltman have become the first brothers to qualify for the Open since Seve and Manuel Ballesteros 26 years ago.

Elsewhere, Austrian Markus Brier, Australian Daniel Gaunt and Denmark's Peter Ellebye came through qualifying at Kilmarnock.

South African Thomas Aitken, England's Peter Baker and Ireland's David Higgins were successful at Glasgow Gailes.

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