[Illusion]

Is anybody here following this or betting this? I have never bet cycling before myself.

[Illusion]

I wonder how the French will try and tarnish this one?

MONTCEAU-LES-MINES, France -- American Floyd Landis regained the overall lead in the Tour de France on Saturday, likely assuring him the title Sunday in Paris.

The race against the clock, won by Ukraine's Serhiy Honchar, had shaped up as the decisive stage in one of the most topsy-turvy Tours in years.

"I could not be happier," Landis said, adding he had been nervous before the stage. "It's one of the best days of my life."

The Phonak team leader reclaimed the yellow jersey from Spain's Oscar Pereiro, who started the individual time trial with a thin 30-second lead over Landis. Saturday, Landis moved up from third to first, gaining 59 seconds on the now second-place Pereiro.

"I am very lucky," said Landis, who's riding with an arthritic right hip, an injury from a 2003 crash that he hopes to correct with surgery this fall. "I'm a person who works hard and never gives up. Otherwise, I'm just a human being."

With such a lead, Landis is in prime position to take home the maillot jaune -- barring disaster in Sunday's ride into Paris -- in the first Tour since fellow American Lance Armstrong won a record seven straight victories.

Honchar, like he did in the seventh stage time trial, dominated the 35.4-mile course from Le Creusot to Montceau-les-Mines, finishing in 1 hour, 7 minutes, 46 seconds. German rider Andreas Kloeden was second, 41 seconds back. Landis placed third, 1:11 off the Honchar's pace. Pereiro was fourth, 2:40 behind.

Kloeden's strong ride Saturday moved him from fourth overall to third at 1:29 back, dropping Spain's Carlos Sastre to fourth. Sastre entered the stage second overall, but he crossed the line 4:41 back of Honchar, falling to 3:13 behind Landis.

Landis and Pereiro have traded the yellow jersey four times since the American first claimed it in Stage 11.

"Hopefully I won't give it away again," he said with a smile. "But I do think it's over now."

Honchar, who had already won the Tour's first time trial two weeks ago, used incredibly big gears on a hilly route lined by hundreds of spectators, setting a scorching pace.

Landis, who suffered handlebar problems in Rennes two weeks ago and lost some 5 seconds after being forced to change bike on the starting ramp in the prologue, got off to a flying start.

At the first intermediate check, the American was one second ahead of Honchar and was leading Sastre by 1:05.

Pereiro was also riding a good time trial, however, and Landis had not erased his 30-second deficit at that check. The Spaniard could not keep the pace going though and by the second time check he had virtually surrendered his yellow jersey as he was 1:23 adrift of his former teammate.

"We did not really have doubts," Phonak team manager John Lelangue said. "But we had to remain cautious after all that happened in this Tour.

"Floyd did an exceptional time trial having huge pressure on his shoulders coming here.

"There is one more stage so let's wait and see tomorrow night. Whatever happens tomorrow we will be drinking champagne on the Champs Elysees."

Before the start of the stage, outgoing Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc and his successor Christian Prudhomme noted the impact Landis has had on the race with his flamboyant ride in the final mountain stage.

"It was a transitional Tour after the retirement of Lance Armstrong who left his mark on the history of the race but Landis would be a superb winner," Prudhomme said.

"His performance in the 17th stage will not only mark the history of the 2006 Tour, it will also mark the whole history of the race."

Leblanc and Prudhomme also congratulated Lelangue.

"Lelangue brought a lot of freshness to the race. He persuaded Landis it was possible to attack from the start of the stage and resurrected fairy-tale cycling, old fashioned cycling, mythical cycling," Prudhomme said.

The white jersey for the best young rider is set to go to Italy's Damiano Cunego, who started the day five seconds ahead of Marcus Fothen, but beat the German by 31 seconds.

The green jersey for the best sprinter is a near certainty for Australian Robbie McEwen, who will lose it only if he pulls out on Sunday. A withdrawal would also be the only reason for Dane Michael Rasmussen to lose the polka-dot jersey for the best climber.

[onlooker]

Is anybody here following this or betting this? I have never bet cycling before myself.

Nope havent followed it, or wagered on it. With Armstrong gone, this sport will be fade away again. IMHO anyway.