MENDE, France - Lance Armstrong thought the Tour de France would be a lot tougher to win this year. Instead, he's cruising toward a seventh straight title.

"I have felt pretty good this Tour," Armstrong said after Thursday's 18th stage. "The tactics have been a little aggressive at times, but also very predictable. It's been smoother than I expected. There's never really been a true panic within the team, within myself."

His longtime rival, Jan Ullrich, conceded that he just couldn't match the Texan, especially after being in two accidents - one the day before the race and the other before the crucial Alps stages.

"We tried everything, but Lance is so strong, just like last year," 1997 Tour winner Ullrich said. "We tried to attack him, but you have to accept he is the strongest. I hoped for better, but I had a lot of problems at the start with my two crashes and this did affect me. I am fighting every day and hope to get on the podium."

Armstrong, who is retiring at the end of the race, defended his large lead in Thursday's stage, won by Marcos Serrano of Spain.

"Honestly I'm ready for the end," Armstrong said. "I'm ready for this career to be over and move on to something else. I'll come back, but certainly not as a racer, primarily as a fan of cycling."

Armstrong finished more than 11 minutes back in a group of four with Ivan Basso of Italy, Ullrich of Germany and Cadel Evans of Australia. They broke away from other riders with bursts of speed up a brutal ascent at the finish in Mende, in south-central France.

Armstrong's lead over Basso remained unchanged at 2 minutes, 46 seconds. Third-placed Mickael Rasmussen was slower up the last climb and slipped to 3:46 behind Armstrong.

Ullrich is still fourth, 5:58 behind Armstrong, but closed on Rasmussen and improved his chances of overtaking the Dane in the final time trial Saturday.

"I am fighting to beat him. Third place is my aim, without doubt," Ullrich said. "The Tour goes on, there are still some tough days to come. Rasmussen is good, but I think I can beat him."

Ullrich probably will have to wait until 2006 to clinch his second Tour title. Without Armstrong around, he and Basso will start as favorites.

Thursday's stage was run under baking sun and had five climbs, including the steep final ascent that winds up from Mende to a nearby aerodrome. That ascent is not that long - at 1.9 miles, but climbs a very steep gradient averaging 10.1 percent.

"We knew it was a difficult finish," Armstrong said. "You still have a lot of tactics within the race, Ullrich trying to take time on Rasmussen and Ivan trying to take time on Ullrich."

He said the 37 seconds Ullrich gained on Rasmussen are likely to be decisive in the battle for third place.

"Those 30 seconds will probably be the 30 that knock him (Rasmussen) off the podium in Paris," he said.

Serrano was one of 10 riders who broke from the main pack containing Armstrong early in the 117-mile route from Albi. He shook off the remaining members of his group on the last ascent and won a stage for the first time in his career.

"It's incredible," said Serrano, who finished ninth in the Tour in 2001. "We work, we ride and finally we succeed."

He covered the route in 4 hours, 37 minutes, 36 seconds. Armstrong, Basso, Ullrich and Evans were 11:18 back.

Another hilly route through central France awaits on Friday before the time trial on Saturday that should give a good indication of the finishing order for the leading riders before Sunday's final ride into Paris.

"Now that the Tour is almost finished and my career is almost finished I have to say that is a nice feeling," Armstrong said.

Armstrong is aware that his legacy as one of cycling's all-time greats is secure. However, he remains modest about his achievements.

"An individual can never dictate their legacy. That's not my job," he said. "Whatever the people decide it is, it is. I'm a kid from Texas who learned how to ride fast and overcome a life-threatening illness to come back and win the hardest sporting event in the world. I'll let other people write on the tombstone."