Armstrong takes overall lead in Tour de France

L'ALPE D'HUEZ, France - Lance Armstrong took the overall leader's yellow jersey for the first time in the Tour de France after finishing third in the second mountain stage of the race Sunday.\nIban Mayo of Spain dominated a battle with Armstrong and other chasing riders on the legendary L'Alpe d'Huez climb, powering up the 8.5-mile ascent and its 21 hairpin bends to win the eighth stage.\nArmstrong, having a difficult day, didn't respond when Mayo attacked and finished 2 minutes, 12 seconds behind the Spaniard.\nThe 31-year-old Texan, who is going for a record-tying fifth straight Tour victory, stayed close enough to seize the overall lead.\n"I didn't have the greatest sensations or the greatest legs today, no bluffing," he said.\nWith Mayo racing ahead, Armstrong was left to battle moves by Spain's Joseba Beloki and American Tyler Hamilton, riding with a broken collarbone, the result of a crash on the second day.\nBeloki, the Tour runner-up last year, is second overall to Armstrong, 40 seconds back. Mayo trails by 70 seconds.\nArmstrong and Beloki struggled for position moving up the mountain to the delight of tens of thousands of cheering fans who lined the narrow, twisting route to the ski resort.\n"If you'd asked me a month ago: 'Are you going to suffer like that on L'Alpe d'Huez?' I would have said, 'No way!'" Armstrong said.\n"I decided to just let Mayo go and limit my losses and cover Beloki because he's close on the classification, and that worked out OK."\nArmstrong, trying to match Miguel Indurain's record of five straight titles, was fighting a stomach flu entering the Tour. Armstrong said he's feeling better, but acknowledged that he doesn't feel as strong as in years past, when he won from 1999-2002.\n"Let's hope that things get better and not worse," he said.\nThe 135-mile stage from Sallanches included the monstrous Col du Galibier, which towers 8,728 feet.\nArmstrong said he could tell going up the climb that he was not having a great day.\n"It was a really hard stage from the start," Armstrong said. "The whole pack attacked."\nWhile Mayo is one of Armstrong's main challengers, the four-time champion played down the victory, saying he didn't regard the Spaniard as a threat to him overall -- yet.\n"The attack by Beloki was very strong. The attack by Mayo wasn't too serious because he was a bit behind in the standings," Armstrong said.\nMayo expects Armstrong to watch him more closely.\n"He will try and control me more and won't let me go," he said. "The Tour is very long with some difficult stages, so I will take it day by day."\nArmstrong blamed U.S. Postal Service teammate Manuel Beltran for some of his difficulties on the last climb.\nBeltran, a newcomer to the U.S. Postal squad, powered into the climb at top speed, hoping to help Armstrong shake off his rivals. But Armstrong said the Spaniard went too fast.\n"A fast tempo is a good thing, but that was supersonic," he said. "It won't happen again."\nJan Ullrich, the 1997 champion, was left behind, however, on the dizzying climb.\n"It was important to get distance from Jan Ullrich. That's the good news of the day," said Armstrong, who still considers Ullrich a threat.\n"I still think he's one of the most dangerous riders in the race," said Armstrong. "Jan typically gets better as the Tour goes on, and this Tour has a long way to go and I won't forget that"