Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507170079
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SAMUEL ABT NEW YORK TIMES
DATELINE: REVEL, FRANCE LENGTH: Medium
Lance Armstrong, the American leader of the Motorola team, came so close - half a bicycle-length at most - to winning a stage of the Tour de France on Saturday, an achievement he had been thinking about for more than two weeks.
``I like this one, too,'' he said, gesturing to a profile handout of this 13th of 20 daily stages before the Tour began in Brittany on July 1. ``It'll be hot and I like that, and all these ups and downs, I like that.''
His analysis was perfect.
As the finish line approached, however, he was unable to overtake Sergei Outschakov, a Ukrainian with the Polti team, who had his arms upraised in victory while Armstrong was looking down and pedaling. (Results in Scoreboard. B2)
``I was surprised by how fast he was,'' said the 23-year-old American, a determined sprinter when he has to be. He won his only stage in the Tour in 1993 in a sprint finish in Verdun.
``I really feel bad,'' said the 1995 Tour DuPont champion. ``I can't tell you how disappointed I am. We were out for 200 [kilometers] and for every one of them, every one, I thought I'd win. I'm devastated.''
He referred to the four-man breakaway in which he rode for much of the 245 kilometers (152 miles) from Mende to Revel in the south-central Massif Central area of France.
Armstrong acted devastated, too, once he crossed the line. His face dripping sweat and lined with white where the salt had dried, he rode far down the final straightaway, eluding a horde of journalists and television cameras before he turned and rode past them again.
Then, he parked his bicycle and entered the drug-testing trailer where he had an appointment after his number - 101 - was drawn at random during the daily stage.
He remained inside, providing a urine sample and recovering out of the media's sight, for more than a dozen minutes. In that time, two other companions in the breakaway finished, followed much later by three riders who had chased them. Armstrong emerged and pedaled away to the Motorola team cars, where he discussed the race, long before the main pack arrived.
Outschakov, 27, and Armstrong were timed in 5 hours, 50 minutes, 45 seconds, an average of 41.9 kilometers per hour 26 mph on a tough course with six climbs in hot but comfortable weather. Third and fourth, 59 seconds behind them, were Bruno Cenghialta, an Italian with the Gewiss team, and Hernan Buenahora, a Colombian with Kelme.
The three pursuers, including Armstrong's American teammate, Frankie Andreu, finished 12:37 behind the winner. The main pack arrived 19:14 later. There was no change at the top of the overall standings as Miguel Indurain, a Spaniard with Banesto, remained in the yellow jersey, 2:44 ahead of Alex Zulle, a Swiss with ONCE, and 3:35 ahead of Laurent Jalabert, a Frenchman with ONCE.
With the first of three stages in the Pyrenees scheduled Monday and four exhausting days in the Alps and Massif Central behind them, the leaders called a cease-fire among themselves Saturday and allowed the breakaway of low-ranking riders to develop after 38 kilometers (23 miles).
Somebody has to win, goes the thinking, and rather than fight it out at the top, leave the day's tiring work to riders who pose no immediate threat.
``It was the opportunity to go,'' Armstrong said. ``I thought it would be a short break and it ended up being 200 K's.''
Nobody seemed to have thought the leaders would concede more than 19 minutes to the four.
``A day like today you don't come across very often,'' Armstrong said, his face in shadow from the team cap pulled low over his forehead. ``To get 15, 17 minutes - those days just don't happen. I'm always looking for them, though.''
With the vast difference at the finish, Buenahora jumped from 23rd place among the 129 remaining racers to ninth, Cenghialta from 31st to 16th and Armstrong from 43rd to 26th. Outschakov began the day in 102nd place and rose to 67th.
``They said he was fast,'' Armstrong said as he sat in his team car, ``but I didn't know he was that fast.''
by CNB