Armstrong 12th in tuneup race in Italy

Lance Armstrong

concluded a relatively quiet Giro d'Italia in 12th place overall yesterday, then jetted home to await the birth of his fourth child. The seven-time Tour de France winner eased off in the race's final stage, an individual time trial run through the ancient streets of Rome on uneven cobblestones made even more slippery by rain.

Armstrong finished 53rd in the race against the clock, 1 minute, 19 seconds behind stage winner Ignatas Konovalovas, of Lithuania, and ended 15:59 behind overall race winner Denis Menchov, of Russia.

"It has been a hard 3 weeks," Armstrong said in a statement from his Astana team. "In the second half of the race, I showed that I was certainly getting better and I think we can take that away from here."

Armstrong used the Giro to get back in form after 3 1/2 years of retirement and having broken his collarbone in March. Armstrong's girlfriend, Anna Hansen, is expecting a baby soon.

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