In his first serious test since finishing fourth at last month's Amstel Gold Race, the United States Postal Service Pro Cycling Team's Lance Armstrong finished second in today's third stage of the Grand Prix du Midi-Libre stage race - a 19 kilometer time trial - in Rodez, France. Armstrong's performance moved him from 31st to second place overall with two stages remaining.

Armstrong turned in a time of 23 minutes and 59 seconds in the difficult course, six seconds back of stage winner and new race leader Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano of ONCE.

Following Armstrong, Galdeano's ONCE teammates then took the third, fourth and fifth places in the stage and hold the same places in the overall classification.

French time-trial champion Florent Brard will not start this year's Tour de France after X-rays at the hospital in Bordeaux confirmed two fractures following his crash in the second stage of the Midi Libre.

Crédit Agricole's team director confirmed that Brard had fractured his right clavicle and his seventh vertebrae in the crash on Thursday.

Brard will undergo surgery for the clavicle on Monday, and will then have to wear a corset for the vertebral fracture for 4-6 weeks.