Armstrong Makes Improvement In Comeback Race

The seven-times Tour de France winner climbed to 29th overall, 49 seconds behind Australian race leader Allan Davis.

American Lance Armstrong finished 23rd in Saturday's fifth and penultimate stage of the Tour Down Under, his best result so far in his comeback race.

The seven-times Tour de France winner climbed to 29th overall, 49 seconds behind Australian race leader Allan Davis.

Davis claimed his third stage win of the tour when he won Saturday's 148 kilometre stage, that included two steep climbs.

Jose Joaquin Rojas of Spain finished second to move into third place overall while Australia's Stuart O'Grady was fourth in the stage and second overall, 25 seconds behind Davis.

More than 100,000 spectators lined the streets to watch the race with most drawn by the lure of watching Armstrong.

The 37-year-old is making a comeback this year after retiring in 2005 to promote cancer awareness but is so pleased with his initial progress that he is already thinking about racing again next season.

"I felt pretty good, better than yesterday, it means we've recovered pretty well," Armstrong told reporters.

"I felt all right on the two times up the climb, I (just) didn't have the needed punch to make a difference."