Lance Armstrong outsprinted Andreas Kloden to the finish line to capture Thursday's 17th stage of the 2004 Tour de France. Armstrong, who began the day with the leader's yellow jersey, finished the 127-mile trek in the Alps in a time of six hours, 11 minutes and 52 seconds. He extended his overall lead from 3:48 to 4:09 and is in position to make history with his sixth straight Tour de France crown. It was the third consecutive stage win and the fourth overall of this year's Tour for Armstrong. The American has 20 career stage victories.
Armstrong beat Kloden to the finish by inches and the two concluded the stage with the same time, while Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso were just a second off the pace. Armstrong's teammate, Floyd Landis, finished fifth -- 13 seconds behind.
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