Cycling: Armstrong warns he will be ready for Tour

LE MONT VENTOUX, France - Lance Armstrong may have been beaten in two major tests in the Dauphine Libere but he warned his rivals today he would be ready in time to win his seventh Tour de France in succession next month.

The American finished third in his first significant time trial of the season over 46.5km yesterday and fourth the next day in his last ride up the Mont Ventoux, cycling's most gruelling mountain and a summit he will never conquer.

But the Texan, second overall behind compatriot Levi Leipheimer, said he was not worried in the least.

"You often see riders do well in the Dauphine Libere and a month later they are not so strong," he said, in a reference to Basque Iban Mayo, who dominated in the Ventoux last year and sank in the Tour.

Victory in today's 182km fourth stage to the Ventoux went to Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov while Colombian Santiago Botero won yesterday's time trial.

- REUTERS