Tour De France Bicycle Race

Boom. That is the shot Alberto Contador fired over Lance Armstrong's bow Friday. When Contador suddenly hunkered down and tried his afterburners in an attempt to seize control of the Tour de France, it wasn't that his Astana teammate Armstrong couldn't keep up. It was that Armstrong is playing the cycling game as it's supposed to be played. And if this were chess or checkers or Monopoly, Armstrong has gotten himself a free move.

When Lance Armstrong surged to third place overall Monday in the Tour de France, plenty of news crews recorded his heroics. But six of the video cameras trained on the 37-year-old cyclist's surprise breakaway weren't working for any newspaper, magazine, TV station or website -- they were sent by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Hollywood loves beat-the-odds stories, and Sony hopes that Armstrong's return to racing after a 3 1/2 -year absence could prove as enthralling as any make-believe film.

Lance Armstrong says he has found a new American sponsor to back Astana next year. He won't say if he will stay with the team or start his own squad. "Making a very cool announcement on Thursday re: a new American partner for our team in 2010 (and beyond). Stay tuned!" Armstrong said on his Twitter feed Tuesday, without elaborating.

The statement wasn't as absurd as it sounded. A journalist here, looking over the crowd that had gathered, said to Lance Armstrong, "It looks as if Jesus Christ is going to cycle." "I've been called a lot of things in my life," Armstrong replied, "but not Jesus Christ. And I don't know that he rode, either. He can do a lot of things, apparently, but I don't know that he rode." Armstrong is back, and with a vengeance.

The owners of the Tour de France and Tour of California cycling races announced Monday that they have entered a marketing and sponsorship agreement. Considering the events' longevity, it is an unexpected partnership between Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO), which runs the 105-year-old Tour de France, and AEG, which has the 4-year-old Tour of California.

A month ago the two American-based elite pro cycling teams were called Team High Road and Chipotle-Slipstream. One named after corny good intentions and one after good-looking burritos. As the Tour de France kicks off its three-week meander through the French landscape, American race fans will see that Team High Road is now Team Columbia and Chipotle is Team Garmin. Never have two name changes meant such good news for a reeling sport.

BREST, France -- Here's what victory will look like for Tour de France organizers: The riders reach the finish line in three weeks with no doping scandals. Cycling's most prestigious race begins today, trying to shake its history of drugs and cheating. The turmoil has left this year's race without many of the sport's big names. The loss of glamour, however, gives a new crop of riders a chance to step forward.

A review of what happened Sunday and a look at what to expect in today's stage: * Sunday's stage: A mostly flat, 102.2-mile run from Auray to Saint-Brieuc that favored sprinters. * Winner: Norwegian Thor Hushovd of Credit Agricole won his sixth Tour stage. Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg finished second, and Gerald Ciolek of Germany was third. * Yellow jersey: Alejandro Valverde of Spain kept the yellow jersey for the second day, and leads Kirchen by one second.

A review of what happened Monday and a look at what to expect in today's stage: * Monday's stage: A mostly flat trek from Saint-Malo to Nantes over 129.3 miles. * Winner: French rider Samuel Dumoulin of Cofidis took the sprint after a four-man breakaway led almost from the start. William Frischkorn of the United States was second, ahead of Romain Feillu of France.

A review of what happened Wednesday and a look at what to expect in today's stage: Wednesday's stage: A 144.2-mile race from Cholet to Chateauroux, the longest and flattest stage of the Tour. Winner: A first Tour stage victory for sprinter Mark Cavendish of Britain, ahead of Oscar Freire of Spain and Erik Zabel of Germany. Yellow jersey: German Stefan Schumacher retains the yellow jersey, 12 seconds ahead of Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg and David Millar of Britain.