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ARMSTRONG 1 STAGE FROM HIS 2ND STRAIGHT TITLE

Germany’s Erik Zabel, who has been the most consistent sprinter in the Tour de France and has the green jersey to prove it, finally won an individual stage Saturday. Ironically, it was also the longest stage of the race: 157.8 miles over gently undulating roads pointing northeast to Paris.

Zabel, 29, who rides for Deutsche Telekom, edged two other riders in front of a massive group of cyclists to win his first stage since 1997. He has a recent history of being thwarted, finishing second 10 times in the last three years, twice previously in this year’s race, and placed third another three times in 2000.

Francois Simon, one of four French cycling brothers who have competed in the Tour and the only one who has not won a Tour stage, was ahead late in Saturday’s race but could not maintain his lead.

Zabel has the best sprinter title locked up and Colombia’s Santiago Botero, who rides for the Kelme team, will be awarded the best climber title Sunday. Francisco Mancebo, 23, of the Banesto team, will be named best young rider.

Lance Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service team is currently eighth fastest in the race in the cumulative team standings, an indication that the statistic is not a reliable gauge of producing a Tour champion. Kelme leads the team standings.

Sunday’s final stage, an 85.6-mile series of circuits around Paris, should end with Armstrong, leading the race by 6 minutes 2 seconds, clinching his second consecutive Tour title on the Champs-Elysees at about 10 a.m., Central time.

My fellow American: As two young U.S. athletes continued to dominate headlines in Europe, Armstrong was asked to compare himself to British Open leader Tiger Woods. The two, who share an affiliation with sportswear giant Nike, have met. Armstrong said he was pleasantly surprised by how enthusiastic Woods was about the encounter.

“He’s clearly the best golfer in the world,” Armstrong said. “I don’t know if by winning the Tour de France you can say you’re the best cyclist in the world.”

Takes one to know one: Five-time Tour winner Eddy Merckx of Belgium, a commentator for French-speaking Belgian television, calls Armstrong nearly every morning to chat about the stage finish and the weather. USPS technical director Johan Bruyneel, another Belgian, says the two men are kindred spirits.

“Eddy and his wife and children are like Lance’s European family,” Bruyneel said. “Lance has a lot of respect for Eddy, and Eddy knows what Lance is doing for the sport. Eddy was a fanatic and Lance is also a fanatic about what he’s doing.”

Flashback: Saturday’s stage passed through Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, the family home of Gen. Charles DeGaulle, 40 years after DeGaulle put his stamp on the event.

The racers stopped for DeGaulle, who protested, “You shouldn’t have!” He also shook hands with eventual winner Gastone Nencini, telling the Italian–as if he didn’t know–that Paris was not far away.