AX-3 DOMAINES, France - Insisting that "I'm not disappointed and there's no reason to panic," Lance Armstrong lost 19 more seconds of his lead to Jan Ullrich in the Tour de France on Saturday as the race began four days in the Pyrenees.
Armstrong, the American who is seeking his fifth successive victory in the Tour, came under repeated attack on two major climbs and withstood them well enough to finish fourth on another scorcher of a day.
But Ullrich, the German leader of the Bianchi team, did even better, finishing second and picking up those 19 seconds to trail Armstrong in second place overall by 15 seconds. With a week left it looks increasingly as if the two will duel for the top step on the final victory podium in Paris.
"It's never been, obviously, this close," Armstrong said. "It's a different race, perhaps more exciting."
Armstrong, the leader of the U.S. Postal Service team, called the 197.5-kilometer (122-mile) climb from Toulouse to Ax-3 Domaines "very difficult."
"I knew it wouldn't be easy because I didn't have the greatest legs after the time trial," he said.
The first of two long individual races against the clock was won Friday by Ullrich, who is making a remarkable comeback after a year away from the sport because of injuries, knee operations and a suspension because he used a recreational drug.
In the time trial and in this 13th of 20 daily stages, Ullrich looked more like the rider who won the 1997 Tour than the one who finished second four times.
His face set in determination and his body never rising from the saddle, Ullrich stormed away from a small group, including Armstrong, with about 11/4 miles to go.
"I didn't think we'd see a sign of weakness from Armstrong, but now we have a better idea of what condition he's in," Ullrich told Reuters. "I have to keep chipping away at his lead."
Ullrich finished 1 minute, 1 second behind the winner, Carlos Sastre, a Spaniard with CSC, who led the race alone for most of the last 9-kilometer climb to the line.
Both climbs Saturday were rated first category in length, steepness and difficulty.
Now comes the Circle of Death. The stage's mountains were mere appetizers for Sunday, with four first-category and two second-category climbs, and for Monday, with one first-category and three fourth-category climbs capped by two rated beyond category.
The Pyrenees will end Wednesday with two first-category, two third-category and two fourth-category climbs to Bayonne.
