Armstrong pulls out of Tour of Ireland, Downing wins

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1 of 2. Astana rider Lance Armstrong of the U.S. makes his way to the start before the last stage of the Tour of Ireland cycling race in Bantry August 23, 2009.

Credit: Reuters/Stefan Wermuth

CORK, Ireland | Sun Aug 23, 2009 12:49pm EDT

CORK, Ireland (Reuters) - Seven-times Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong pulled out of the third and final stage of the Tour of Ireland with back problems on Sunday, while Briton Russell Downing won the three-day race.

Downing celebrated his 31st birthday with victory after taking a five-second lead into the final day while Norway's Lars Petter Nordhaug won the 168-km rain-soaked final stage from Bantry to Cork.

"It wasn't my day," Armstrong told reporters.

"My back was out today. It was just bad today. And when your back is out, everything is out. And on a circuit like this, with steep climbs, explosive, it wasn't going to happen."

(Editing by Brian Homewood)
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