Brochard claims third race triumph
 |  Veteran Brochard says the wheel of time has left him mentally stronger |
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VIMOUTIERS, France -- Laurent Brochard took the Paris-Camembert cycling race for the third time on Tuesday with six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong in the chasing pack.
French veteran Brochard dominated the 66th edition of the 200-kilometer trek from the outskirts of Paris to Vimoutiers in the cheese-making region of Normandy.
Brochard, 37, also won in 2001 and 2003 and said: "I have really found my form. Physically I feel as good as a few years ago and mentally I'm stronger."
The Bouygues Telecom rider clocked four hours 45 minutes 25 seconds, seven seconds clear of Australian Brett Lancaster and another Frenchman, Sandy Casar, in third.
United States rider Armstrong, who will attempt to win a seventh straight Tour de France in July, was taking part in Paris-Camembert for the fourth time.
He finished second in 2000, 13th in 2001, 75th in 2002 and 24th this time.
However, at this stage of the season, the 33-year-old Discovery Channel rider is not looking for victories, choosing instead to use the early races as preparation for the Tour.
The Texan has been training in the Canary Islands for the past few weeks and on Sunday finished in the pack at the Brabant Arrow race in Alsemberg, Belgium.
At the Paris-Nice race earlier this month, he abandoned midway through with a sore throat.
Armstrong says he will support teammate George Hincapie in the Tour of Flanders on April 3.
