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SAINT-MAIXENT-L'ECOLE, France - Lance Armstrong lost two seconds of his lead over rival Jan Ullrich in the Tour de France's 18th stage Friday, setting up a time-trial showdown for the title.
Ullrich, the 1997 champion and four-time runner-up, trimmed Armstrong's overall lead to 65 seconds with two stages left.
Ullrich earned a four-second bonus by finishing second in an intermediate sprint during Friday's 126.2-mile stage from Bordeaux. Armstrong was third in the sprint, picking up two bonus seconds.
With the overall standings so tight, the time Ullrich gained could be crucial. At the least it could give him a morale boost going into today's time trial.
"It's not important losing two seconds. I don't think the Tour will be decided by two seconds," Armstrong said.
Pablo Lastras of Spain finished first Friday with an average speed of 30.962 mph, making it the second-fastest road stage in Tour history. He completed the course in 4 hours, 3 minutes, 18 seconds.
Armstrong and Ullrich finished in a large pack of riders 24:05 behind Lastras, saving energy for today's crucial race against the clock to Nantes.
Armstrong, trying to join Miguel Indurain (1991-95) as the only riders to win five straight Tours, has never been locked in such a tight title chase.
Indeed, this year's race brings to mind Greg LeMond's stunning win by eight seconds over Laurent Fignon in 1989, the closest finish in the Tour's 100-year history.
"This Tour could be decided by hundredths of a second, the thickness of two tires," five-time winner Bernard Hinault said.
The Tour ends Sunday in Paris with what traditionally has been a ceremonial ride but could become a finishing sprint to the title between Armstrong and Ullrich.
First, though, comes today's 30.4-mile race from the Atlantic port of Pornic to the western town of Nantes. The flat course should suit both riders.
"Flat, straight, not technical, should be a tail wind ... could be very fast, could be one of the fastest time trials in Tour history," Armstrong said.
Ullrich hopes to repeat his impressive defeat of Armstrong by more than 11/2 minutes in a time trial last week.
Armstrong, however, was dehydrated during that stage because of a heat wave.
He hasn't lost the closing time trial since his first win in 1999 and said he has no intention of doing so this year.
"I'm relaxed," the 31-year-old Texan said. "I remain confident because I've raced very well in the last time trial over the last four years."
His mood has been more buoyant since his dramatic stage victory Monday in the Pyrenees, when he recovered from a fall and powered past Ullrich to build on his overall lead.
"He is confident," Armstrong's team director, Johan Bruyneel, said. "He's happy, his morale is good. I think he'll do a good time trial."
Lastras outsprinted Carlos Da Cruz of France in the final yards. Daniele Nardello of Italy was third.
"It was a very difficult stage because it was very fast," said Lastras, who is a member of the Ibanesto.com team.
"I wanted this victory for my mother, who died four months ago."