Zabriskie is only the third American rider to wear the Tour de France leader's yellow jersey. The other two, Greg Le- Mond and Lance Armstrong, have occupied the top step of the podium in Paris a combined nine times.

Yet Zabriskie hardly seems overburdened.

RESOURCES INSIDE THE PELETON

• Jersey watch: Australian sprint star Robbie McEwen (Davitamon-Lotto team) crossed the line third but was relegated to the back of the pack and fined $153 for head-butting fellow Aussie Stuart O'Grady of Cofidis as the two jockeyed for position approaching the finish. O'Grady was awarded third place. The sanction didn't affect McEwen's time in the pack finish, but it did strip him of the points he would have earned toward the green, or sprinter's, jersey.
• Most aggressive rider : Sylvain Calzati, France (Ag2r-Prévoyance).
• Last place : Leonardo Piepoli, Italy (Saunier Duval-Prodrir) at 4.40.
• Riders still in race : 189.
• Abandoned/eliminated : None.
• Key team standings : First, Crédit Agricole, 11.34.33; second, Bouugues Telecom; third, Quick Step-Innergetic; 19th, Discovery Channel.
On Monday, during a lull in the 132-mile transitional Stage 3 that didn't have any effect on the race standings, Zabriskie found himself rolling along next to Armstrong.

"Just some ha-ha stuff," Zabriskie said, his lips curling into a bashful smile. "He asked me if I was enjoying it, and I said, 'Yes.' Then he asked if he could have a turn. I said,'Sure. Why not?' "

Armstrong to get serious There was only so much ha-ha in that exchange. Armstrong and his Discovery Channel team are bent on stripping racing's golden fleece from Zabriskie's back today in the team time trial, the technically demanding event that Armstrong's squadron has won for two years runn