FLOYD LANDIS grabbed the Tour de France leader's yellow jersey after finishing third in Saturday's time-trial to all but secure overall victory. Landis finished behind Serhiy Honchar, who won his second time-trial of this year's race, and Andreas Kloden, who moved up to third overall. But the American transformed a deficit of 30 seconds on previous leader Oscar Pereiro into a 59-second lead.

That should be enough to give Landis victory on the final stage into Paris.

"I knew with the general classification on the line these guys would fight as hard as they could and they certainly made me work for it, " said a beaming Landis at the finish. "Normally I am very confident in my ability to time-trial but when the yellow jersey is on the line and people have that incentive, it is not so easy to beat them."

Having put virtually a minute between himself and Pereiro, Flandis should be able to enjoy a celebratory final stage on today from Sceaux-Anthony into Paris, before the sprinters fight it out on the Champs-Elysees.

"It's a wonderful feeling, " he said as he prepares to succeed compatriot Lance Armstrong as Tour champion. "I was one of the lucky ones to be part of Lance's seven wins [as a team-mate for three years at US Postal]. I was there for three of them but it wouldn't have been the same if I couldn't have done it on my own. I am very happy."

Armstrong himself had said he would be delighted if fellow American Floyd Landis succeeds him as Tour de France champion. "I would love to see the jersey stay in America, " Armstrong said.

"Floyd Landis is doing very well and I think he is still the favourite. I would be happy with that victory."

Armstrong joined his Discovery Channel team, who have struggled in his absence, during last Monday's rest day, and has stayed with them all week. "I still believe in them, " he added. "I know it has been a difficult year relative to what we were used to, but they are still a great group of guys and great riders. This is a transition time so it is not the time to be critical or say 'what is the problem?'

"I still believe in them and I still believe we have some of the best riders left in the field."

Landis has proved him to be correct.

Stage 19 Results 1 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) T-Mobile 1.07.45 2 Andreas Kloden (Ger) T-Mobile +0.41 3Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak +1.11 4Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears +2.40 5Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner +3.18 6David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC +3.35 7Viatscheslav Ekimov (Rus) Discovery Channel +3.41 8Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto +3.43 9Bert Grabsch (Ger) Phonak +3.43 10Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital +3.44 General classi"cation after stage 19 1 Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak 85.42.30 2Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears +0.59 3Andreas Kloden (Ger) T-Mobile +1.29 4Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC +3.13 5Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto +5.08 6Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank +7.06 7Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R-Prevoyance +8.41 8Christophe Moreau (Fra) AG2R-Prevoyance +9.37 9Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi +12.05 10Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile +15.07 11Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC+17.46 12Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital +19.21 13Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner +19.22 14Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank +19.46 15Marcus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner +19.57 16Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Credit Agricole +21.12 17Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Lampre-Fondital +26.25 18Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank +28 .14 19Jose Azevedo (Por) Discovery Channel +38.08 20Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre-Fondital +43.05