Cycling: Rob has mountain to climb

As the Tour heads into the Pyrenees for the tour-defining mountain stages, there was time for some brief glory for Australia before the tour returns to the central issue: what to do about Lance Armstrong?

Australia's Robbie McEwen paid a glowing tribute to his Davitamon team after winning his third stage of this year's Tour de France - a sprint stage which prefaces the first of the killer slogs up the Pyrenees, the venue at which Armstrong has burned off the conmpetition in most of his previous six tour titles.

"More than ever, today was a team victory," said the Australian who beat fellow Australian Stuart O'Grady at the end of the 13th stage."It's hard for anybody not in the race to appreciate just how much they worked to help me win."

His team-mates set the pace as the peloton chased down a breakaway bunch of five.

The sprinters will be out of contention when the Tour climbs into the Pyrenees but the battle for the sprint points title (led by Norway's Thor Hushvold) will continue next week in central France.

However, the focal point of the tour will see Armstrong, ahead by 38 seconds from Denmark's Michael Rasmussen. Armstrong has always thrived in the Pyrenees, winning five stages and notably the last stage held at Pla d'Adet in 2001.

The T-Mobile trio of Ullrich, Alexander Vinokourov and Andreas Kloeden were punished in Courchevel on Tuesday and will be out for revenge. Vinokourov still thinks Armstrong can be beaten, although he's 4:47 behind.

- AGENCIES