July 21, 2004 – Lance Armstrong (USPS) won the Alpe d’Huez hillclimb time trial today, more or less eliminating any more possibility for excitement in the final week. With the win, Armstrong solidifies his overall position and seems impossible to beat.

Results
1. Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal p/b Berry Floor 39.41 (23.44 km/h)
2. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team 1.01
3. Andreas Klöden (Ger) T-Mobile Team 1.41
4. Jose Azevedo (Por) US Postal p/b Berry Floor 1.45
5. Santos Gonzalez (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 2.11
6. Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) T-Mobile Team
7. Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Illes Balears – Banesto 2.15
8. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 2.23
9. David Moncouti̩ (Fra) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit Par T̩l̩phone
10. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC 2.27

Overall:

1. Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal p/b Berry Floor 67.53.24
2. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 3.48
3. Andreas Klöden (Ger) T-Mobile Team 5.03
4. Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team 7.55
5. Jose Azevedo (Por) US Postal p/b Berry Floor 9.19
6. Francisco Mancebo P̩rez (Spa) Illes Balears РBanesto 9.20
7. Georg Totschnig (Aut) Gerolsteiner 11.34
8. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC 13.52
9. Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi 14.08
10. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Rabobank