Landis’ decisive performance in today’s 35.4-mile individual time trial — 1 minute and 29 seconds ahead of former race leader Oscar Pereiro of Spain — leaves little doubt that he will be standing atop the podium in Paris after Sunday’s largely ceremonial procession into the city.

“It was a long way, but I’m happy it’s over,” Landis said at today’s finish line.

“I told everyone in January that we were going to do it. There were times when it looked a little less likely but I kept believing.

“Now I am glad it is over — that is more stress than I like to deal with. I said before, the most exciting way to do it is to win in the time trial, but wasn’t really hoping to do it that way!”

Landis did not win today’s battle — placing third in the time trial — but he won the three-week war. His finish today of 1:08.56 put him just under one minute ahead of his overall closest rival, Pereiro, whom Landis trailed by 30 seconds going into today’s stage.

Today’s race was won by Ukranian Serguei Gonchar, who was 41 seconds ahead of German Andreas Klöden and 1 minute and 11 seconds ahead of Landis.

Landis was the fastest rider at the first time check, which came 16.5 kilometers into the 57-kilometer race. By then he had made up roughly 10 seconds of his 30-second deficit on race leader Pereiro.

At the 34.5-kilometer mark, Landis was 57 seconds ahead of Pereiro, giving him a 27-second advantage — and the overall race lead, which he didn’t relinquish.

Carlos Sastre of Spain, who began the day in second place, finished more than more than 3 minutes behind Landis.

Landis, a 1994 graduate of Conestoga Valley High School, becomes the third American champion in the race’s 101-year history. He succeeds his former teammate Lance Armstrong, who won the race in each of the past seven years, and Greg Lemond, who was the victor in 1986, 1989 and 1990.

Landis, 30, has made time trialing one of his specialties. Most cycling experts here and abroad had expected him to win today’s stage and reclaim the yellow jersey.

At Green Mountain Cyclery, the Ephrata bike shop where a teenage Landis used to hang out, the front window featured a large “Go Floyd” sign and the green and yellow symbol of Landis’ Swiss-based Phonak team.

Owner Mike Farrington brought in a large-screen television, opened an hour early and invited everyone to come watch the race.

“It’s going to be pins and needles,” Farrington said before his friend started racing this morning.

But Farrington was confident.

“He only has to have a decent time trial and he’ll be fine, but I think he’s going to go all out and maybe get a couple of minutes by the end,” Farrington predicted of Landis’ performance.

“Floyd is one of the best time trialists in the world. He knows what to do. It’s really up to the other guys to try to beat him,” Farrington said of Landis.

Landis rides time trials in a tight, bent-over position that was developed to relieve some of the pain of his arthritic hip — a condition derived from a 2003 crash. The aerodynamic time-trial position, with Landis’ arms out in front and his elbows bent, has been called the “Praying Landis” — a reference to both the praying mantis insect and Landis’ Mennonite upbringing.

Paul and Arlene Landis, the bike racer’s parents, were watching the race this morning from the home of family friends and neighbors Tammy and Neal Martin. The Landises do not own a television.

“I’m sure he has more adrenaline flowing than any time in his life,” Arlene said of her 30-year-old son, just before he started this morning.

But, she said, Floyd was always determined.

Often she mistook the strong-willed child’s creativity for defiance, the mother now says. That led to strain in Floyd’s teenage years. The chasm between the son and his parents was bridged after his left home in 1994 for California to pursue his bicycle-racing ambitions.

“You don’t pray for a strong-willed child, but when they can generate their life with good choices, that’s rewarding,” Arlene Landis now says.

At the Martins’ house, about 15 friends and neighbors were crowded around the television this morning. Hours before, the Martins had been outside decorating the curbs along Farmersville Road with “Go Floyd” written in chalk. Banners and ribbons also decorated the house at the village’s crossroads.

Tammy Martin was expecting to see people coming all morning.

“We’re getting the coffee on and the lemonade ready,” she said.

Among the crowd at the house this morning were reporters from Allentown. Some from France were expected to arrive soon.

Arlene Landis said she’s been surprised by the attention they have received.

“I guess it isn’t a small feat to do what this race takes,” she said of her son.

Landis began his bicycling career as a mountain biker. In the early days he often raced with childhood friend Eric Gebhard, who said Landis predicted that he would one day win the Tour de France.

Signs began showing up last week in Farmersville after Landis first took the lead in the 23-day race. More signs went up this week around Akron and Ephrata.

Some of Landis’ supporters rallied behind him Wednesday after he “bonked” climbing an Alpine peak, lost the lead of the race and put himself more than eight minutes back from Pereiro.

Not everyone lost faith in Landis. Commentators this morning were reporting that five-time Tour de France winner Eddy Merckx had bet 100 Euro on Landis on Wednesday — after he bonked — when the odds against a Landis win were running 75-1.

Cycling experts were sure Landis was out of contention for the overall win. He proved them wrong the next day with a solo charge up four mountain peaks — at times as much as nine minutes ahead of his pursuers. The ride has been called one of the best in the history of the sport.

With his win today, the race is decided, Farrington said.

“The only way it could get crazy (Sunday) is if somebody is within seconds of somebody else.

“If it’s less than 10 seconds, whoever is in second place will ride their guts out to get it.”

But with the gap at nearly a minute, there will be no serious challenges. Traditionally, there are no attacks on the yellow jersey on the final ride into Paris.

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