Behind every five-time Tour winner is a rock star

CHARLEROI, Belgium — Lance Armstrong is grateful rocker girlfriend Sheryl Crow is there for support as he bids for a record sixth straight Tour de France title.

Crow, wearing a knee-length white overcoat and sunglasses propped on her head, gave Armstrong a deep congratulatory kiss after he sped to a strong second-place finish in Saturday’s opening time trial.

“Sheryl’s a great girl, and obviously more than just a friend,” Armstrong said. “She’s been there every day for me, and she has a big life.

“She’s not just a bike fan — she’s also a rock star.”

Doping doubts

The Tour de France’s director has doubts about a new book that suggests Lance Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs but offers no ironclad proof.

“Every year at this period … books come out claiming to be revelatory and denouncing,” Jean-Marie Leblanc said on France-Inter radio Sunday. “This is an investigation by journalists, not a police probe.”

But he also said that some accusations in “L.A. Confidential, the Secrets of Lance Armstrong” gave him pause.

“There are some points that stand out a bit to me, if they are correct.” Leblanc said. “Whatever the case, these points go back quite a way.”

The French-language book, which hit French bookstores two weeks ago, was written by David Walsh and Pierre Ballester and relies in part on accusations by a former Armstrong masseuse, Emma O’Reilly.

Armstrong calls the book’s claims “absolutely untrue.” A French appeals court Friday rejected Armstrong’s attempt to force the publisher to insert the cycling star’s denial into its pages.

What, me worry?

The Tour’s top champions aren’t worried Lance Armstrong could eclipse them in the record books.

Armstrong will overtake five-time winners Eddy Merckx of Belgium, Miguel Indurain of Spain and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault with another victory.

Merckx, considered by many the best rider, won from 1969-72 and in 1974. He said Armstrong remains the “biggest favorite” this year.

Indurain and Hinault, speaking Saturday near the start of the opening-day prologue in Liege, Belgium, said they would have “no problem” if Armstrong tops them. But they think Germany’s Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner whom Armstrong calls his biggest threat, could dethrone the Texan.