Spain's Alberto Contador was 102.5 kilometres from winning the third Tour de France championship of his career as the 20th, and final, stage of the 2010 race got underway Sunday in the city of Longjumeau, dpa reported.
The 27-year-old Contador led Luxembourg's Andy Schleck by only 39 seconds as the stage began, but since the final stage is traditionally a leisurely victory parade to the Champs Elysees in Paris, Contador must only avoid injury to claim the title.
The stage includes nine circuits of the Champs Elysees and is likely to end with a mass sprint to the finish on the fabled avenue.
The stage is also the final competitive appearance of seven-time winner Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France. When the stage began, he stood 23rd, nearly 40 minutes behind Contador.
The stage started nearly 20 minutes late because Armstrong and his Radio Shack teammates were forced by Tour officials to change their jerseys.
They had intended to wear new jerseys bearing the number 28, representing the 28 million people around the world afflicted with cancer. Since surviving the disease, the 38-year-old Armstrong has run a foundation, Livestrong, to aid cancer research and care.
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