July 27, 2003 – The Tour de France is over and Lance Armstrong (USPS) has become only the second rider – Miguel Indurain being the other – to win the tour five times in a row. Other greats that have won five Tours although not consecutively include Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx and Jacques Anquetil. An exciting Tour full of surprises, the race has enthralled most of the cycling world for the past three weeks. Indeed, even the margin between Armstrong and runner-up Jan Ullrich (Bianchi) is just over a minute – a small gap considering the 20 stages the two have ridden.
Today's stage was important to determine the green jersey competition and that too came down to the wire. After FDJ.com's Baden Cooke took the first intermediate sprint, he and Lotto-Domo's Robbie McEwen were in a tie for the points competition, equal on points. That meant it came down to the finish on the Champs-Elysees to determine the victor. The stage winner was Frenchman Jean-Patrick Nazon (Jean Delatour), who wore the yellow jersey earlier in the Tour. Cooke finished second, and in doing so takes the green jersey by a mere two points over compatriot McEwen.
And Lance finished safely in the pack, his 2003 Tour over…
Stage 20:1. Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) Jean Delatour 3.38.49
2. Baden Cooke (Aus) FDJeux.com
3. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto Domo
4. Luca Paolini (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon
5. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole
6. Stuart O'grady (Aus) Credit Agricole
7. Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Telekom
8. Romans Vainsteins (Lat) Vini Caldirola-So.Di
9. Gerrit Glomser (Aut) Saeco
10. Damien Nazon (Fra) Bricohes La Boulangere
Final Overall:
1. Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal-Berry Floor 83.41.12
2. Jan Ullrich (Ger) Team Bianchi 1.01
3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Team Telekom 4.14
4. Tyler Hamilton (USA) Team CSC 6.17
5. Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 6.51
6. Iban Mayo (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 7.06
7. Ivan Basso (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 10.12
8. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Credit Agricole 12.28
9. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC 18.49
10. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) iBanesto.com 19.15