Cycling: Armstrong outpaced

Alberto Contador has easily beaten Lance Armstrong to the finish in the first stage of the two-day Criterium International in Corsica.

Contador finished in the pack, 1m 12s behind winner Pierrick Fedrigo of France, in his first competitive race with his former teammate since last year's Tour de France. Armstrong was almost five minutes behind Fedrigo.

Fedrigo won the 175.5km stage from Porto Vecchio to the uphill finish at Col de l'Ospedale, with Tiago Machado second and Samuel Sanchez third. Armstrong burst to the front of the pack about 8km from the finish but lagged and was dropped about 4km later. The leaders dropped Contador with about 2km to go.