PAU, France -- Germany's Jan Ullrich, trailing Tour de France leader Lance Armstrong by 67 seconds, admits the American is now clear favorite to land a record-equaling fifth title.

But that doesn't mean Ullrich won't keep fighting.

"To sum up the situation, let's say that Lance Armstrong should win the Tour de France and that I could do it," he said, emphasizing his words carefully. "Everything remains possible and I'm still very motivated about going for final victory. I will do everything I can to attack him as there is only one minute between us."

Humbled by Ullrich in the first time trial in Cap'Decouverte last week, Armstrong struck back with a brilliant win in Luz-Ardiden before talking of all the problems he has encountered since the start of the Tour.

The American claimed he had suffered dehydration in the stifling heat of southwestern France in the time trial.

But Ullrich said he had also suffered after the first week's team time trial in which his Bianchi team finished in second place behind Armstrong's U.S. Postal outfit.

"I was in a real bad way after the team time trial. I nearly came close to giving up," he said.

The 1997 winner, who missed last year's race with a knee injury and later received a six-month doping ban after testing positive for amphetamines, said his team, quickly assembled weeks before the prologue, had given him a lot of satisfaction.

"Everybody thought we were a makeshift team. People had said the same about my Telekom team in 1999 when I won the Vuelta, but I'm very happy with them," he said.

The Rostock rider will need his Bianchi teammates once more on Wednesday in the last mountain stage which, although it ends with a long 80-km flat stretch, will force the peloton over two more hard climbs.

His duel with Armstrong on the last two hills of the Tour will be an intriguing one as both have attacked in the mountains this Tour.

Ullrich's last attempt took place Monday, in the Tourmalet, much too far from the finish in Luz-Ardiden to upset Armstrong. But Ullrich said he had no regrets.

"I wanted to shock him. I think it was a good psychological move. I wanted to hamper his confidence," he said.

But even a crash later in the stage did not harm Armstrong.

Ullrich's best hope now of overturning Armstrong's advantage would appear to be in Saturday's 49-km time trial between Pornic and Nantes, with the German sounding an optimistic note.

"Don't forget that in 1989, I was watching the Tour on television and the race was won in a time trial on the last day," he said.