LES DEUX ALPES (France), July 23: Colombian Santiago Botero claimed his second stage win of the Tour de France, his third overall, here Tuedsay as the 15th and longest stage rode into the Alps for the first of three days of climbing.

After 226.5km of riding from Vaison La Romaine to here, the talented Kelme rider claimed another memorable Alpine win - after that of 2000 - with some fine climbing on the last few kilometres to clock a time of 5hr 55min 16secs.

Belgian Mario Aerts, the Lotto rider who had been part of Botero’s breakaway group earlier on in the race, finished second at 1min 51secs, with another Belgian, Axel Merckx, third at 2:30.

On what was a relatively easy first day compared to Wednesday’s killer stage, the peloton containing race leader Lance Armstrong began to arrive five minutes later, with Armstrong finishing at 6:41.

The 30-year-old American three-time winner retains the yellow jersey, which he is favoured to hold on to until the race arrives in Paris on Sunday.

His 4:21 lead over second placed (overall) Spaniard Joseba Beloki remains intact, with Lithuanian surprise Raimondas Rumsas, who gave Beloki a scare just before the line when he raced away, still third at 6:39.

“It wasn’t too hard today,” said a relaxed-looking Armstrong after the race. “The team worked well again, they were pretty solid.

“Les Deux Alpes isn’t too difficult, but it went off at a fast pace.”

As Armstrong prepared to spend his fifth straight night in yellow, Botero was celebrating chipping a massive seven minutes off his pre-stage deficit of 18:36.

He has since moved him up 11 places to seventh overall at 11:31, is now third in the race for the polka dot jersey and has equalled his legendary compatriot Lucho Herrera for the number of stage wins on the Tour.

Botero, a devout Catholic who is helped to train back home by a bunch of professional riders whose club folded recently, has been making a name for himself over the past few seasons.

His audacious breakaway in 2000, after 249.5km and three climbs, handed him a memorable, first stage win at Briancon and Colombia’s first polka dot jersey for the best climber since 1987.—AFP