BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2001 | Tour de France

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Lance Armstrong has stamped his authority on the Tour de France with victory on the 13th stage between Foiux and Saint-Lary-Soulan.

And the win, in the second of three stages in the Pyrenees, ensured Armstrong took the maillot jaune after Francois Simon finished 13.21mins back.

Jan Ullrich, Armstrong's main rival for overall victory, finished an eventful stage in second, almost a minute behind the American.

Simon had started the day with an advantage off over nine minutes on Armstrong, but, like the rest of the field, he was left in the American's wake on the final climb.

Armstrong made his move on the last of five climbs after Ullrich had attacked him for the second successive day.

Laurent Jalbert
Jalabert made a lone break of 162km
The pair started the seven mile climb three minutes behind Laurent Jalabert, who was looking for a memorable stage win, roared on by his home crowd, after spending the majority of the day out in front on his own.

But Jalabert, who fell at the bottom of the climb on some gravel and had to change his bike, had no answer to Armstrong when the US Postal rider accelerated past him and onto victory.

Armstrong had begun the climb in a group including his team-mate Roberto Heras, Ullrich and Andrei Kivilev, the Kazakhstan rider who started the day in second place overall.

Kivilev was soon dropped and the dutiful Heras took up the pace until Ullrich attacked.

Armstrong stayed with the German before racing away, pumping out a faster rhythm in a lower gear compared to Ullrich's more sedate pace in a higher gear.

In no time at all Armstrong passed Jalabert before taking victory after five hours 44 minutes and 194km in the saddle.

And for the second mountain stage of the race Joseba Beloki followed Armstrong and Ullrich home in third to mirror the finishing podium in the 2000 Tour

Jalabert finally finished 3.12mins later but had the consolation of claiming the polka dot jersey for the leading climber in the race.

Jan Ullrich
Ullrich returns from his detour
Kivilev missed his opportunity of taking the yellow jersey after finishing over four minutes behind Armstrong but the Cofidis team leader remains in second overall.

Simon is now third and Ullrich is fourth, over five minutes behind Armstrong.

The German realised that this stage provided one of his last chances to attack and take time out of Armstrong.

But in pushing himself to the limit he careered off the road and into the undergrowth on the final descent of the day from Val-Louvon-Azet.

The 1997 Tour winner was quickly back on his bike and given valuable assistance by Kevin Livingston, his Telekom team-mate and Armstrong's former right-hand man at US Postal.

Although he caught Armstrong ahead of the final climb he was unable to launch a telling final attack and instead had to watch as his rival launched himself into yellow.