1.   Kivilev, a Kazakh, won a climbing stage in the mountainous Dauphine Libere last month and rode strongly uphill in the Route du Sud.

2.   Alex Zuelle, who opened up a substantial overall lead with a dominating time-trial performance Sunday, retained the pink jersey heading into the toughest climbing stages.

3.   Gonzalez said the modern style of cycling makes it tougher for the Colombians to attack on the tough climbing stages.

4.   He won two climbing stages and finished second in another.

5.   Lance Armstrong moved a big step toward sewing up a Tour de France victory on Wednesday, finishing the last climbing stage with his lead intact.

6.   Lance Armstrong moved a big step toward a Tour de France victory on Wednesday, finishing the last climbing stage with his commanding lead intact.

7.   Riis won his first Tour with the help of his strong Telekom team and aggressive attacks in the climbing stages.

8.   The Tour heats up Tuesday and Wednesday for a pair of climbing stages in the Pyrenee Mountains.

9.   Three tough climbing stages will come next, prior to the final leg of the cycling marathon, ending in Milan on Sunday.

10.   Three tough climbing stages will follow prior to the final leg into Milan on Sunday.