Armstrong holds lead after Botero stage win

Colombian Santiago Botero of Kelme, who served a six month suspension for doping last year, won the 14th stage of the Tour de France, a 249.5km Alpine slog from Draguignan to Briancon which he completed in seven hours 56 minutes and 13 seconds. Lance Armstrong of US Postal, the defending champion, kept the yellow jersey at the end of the Tour's longest stage during which he gave no ground to his nearest rivals to maintain a four minutes and 55 seconds lead over 1997 winner Jan Ullrich of Germany. Botero, a 27-year-old Tour debutant who turned professional in 1996 and is ranked just 823rd in the world, was giving Colombia their first stage win since 1996, raised his eyes skywards and crossed himself as he reached the line after the most gruelling of days in the saddle as the Tour moved into the Alps. He raced ahead over the final 2km to head off Saeco's Paolo Salvodelli by more than two minutes and 1998 winner Marco Pantani, who was 2:46 adrift. Pantani headed up a chasing group which included Armstrong and Ullrich, who crossed the line together inside the top 10 to finish. Botero, 13:11 behind Armstrong at the start of the stage in 19th place, was the closest to the race leader in the overall standings. His performance ensured he takes the leadership of the King of the Mountains category from Javier Ochoa with Frenchman Richard Virenque - a five-time winner of the polka dot jersey - moving into second. Kelme's Fernando Escartin finished 2:49 adrift in fourth alongside Virenque, thrown off the Tour two years ago amid the doping scandal while he was with Festina.