CAP'DECOUVERTE, France - An exhausted Lance Armstrong is the first to admit it: He no longer is the man to beat in the Tour de France.
Parched and weak after a ride on a scorching day, the four-time champion ran out of energy - and water - on a key stage leading to the Pyrenees.
The Texan finished second in an individual time trial Friday and lost precious time to one of his main rivals - stage winner Jan Ullrich of Germany, who moved to second overall.
Not since Armstrong overcame cancer to return to the Tour in 1999 has his grip on cycling's prestigious race looked so tenuous.
Armstrong extended his overall lead from 21 seconds to 34, but he was counting on using the time trial to distance himself from the field. Instead, Ullrich is lurking.
Ullrich, a 1997 Tour winner and twice runner-up to Armstrong, powered across the 29 miles of rolling vineyards in 58 minutes, 32 seconds. He was the only rider of 167 to finish in less than an hour.
Ullrich, of Team Bianchi, shaved more than 11/2 minutes off Armstrong's lead as the Tour enters the lung-wrenching Pyrenees.
"Now he's the big favorite," Armstrong said.
Armstrong looked stunned when he ascended the podium to accept the leader's yellow jersey. Afterward, he seemed spent - physically and emotionally.
"I had an incredible crisis. ... I felt like I was pedaling backward," a flushed Armstrong said. Temperatures in the shade reached 97 and were worse in the sun.
"Perhaps it was too hot for me," he said. "I don't know. I suffered."
Ullrich, however, was buoyant.
"From the start I never thought I could win this time trial," he said, sweat dripping from his face. "I got my old rhythm back. ... I didn't expect this (victory) myself."
"I have never beaten Armstrong in a time trial in the Tour before, and I did it now, in my comeback year."
More bad news for Armstrong: Ullrich tends to grow stronger as in the final eight stages, four of those in the Pyrenees.
Since he won his first Tour in 1999, Armstrong has won six of eight individual time trials. Aside from Friday's race, his other loss in the trial came last year.
Talk of his vulnerability has dominated this race. And his latest performance provides a psychological lift to opponents, who see victory within their grasp.
