Armstrong drops to 3rd at Tour; Nocentini in front

By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press Writer

ARCALIS, Andorra (AP) — Lance Armstrong dropped one spot to third place in the Tour de France on Friday, with rival and teammate Alberto Contador breaking away in the final sprint up the mountain to claim second.

Italy’s Rinaldo Nocentini captured the yellow jersey from Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara after a punishing climb in the Pyrenees to complete the seventh stage. The 140-mile leg, the first in the mountains, was won by Brice Feillu of France in a solo breakaway.

Armstrong began the day a split second off the lead and now trails by eight. Contador, the 2007 Tour winner, sped ahead in the last 1.2 miles in an attempt to seize the overall lead. He started the day 19 seconds behind Armstrong and finished 21 seconds before the Texan crossed the line.

“Like I’ve said all along, my first obligation is to the team,” Armstrong said during a TV interview after the stage.

Contador was 6 seconds behind Nocentini. The Italian and Feillu were part of a nine-man breakaway group that jumped to an early lead.

“It’s a nice victory,” said Feillu, a 23-year-old rider in his first Tour.

The yellow jersey changed hands for the first time in this race. Cancellara had held it since his victory in the opening-day time trial. The Swiss rider trailed far behind the leaders in the main pack.

The trek from Barcelona to the Andorran ski resort of Arcalis was the longest stage of this Tour. Competitors scaled the demanding Serra-Seca pass before the climb into Arcalis that is one of the toughest ascents in cycling.

Riders embark on two more days in the Pyrenees before a rest day Monday. The Tour ends July 26 in Paris.