Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 22, 1995 TAG: 9507240048
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LIMOGES, FRANCE LENGTH: Medium
The American cyclist said he made the emotional gesture for Motorola teammate Fabio Casartelli, who was killed in a crash Tuesday and was buried Thursday.
``In the past I have won bike races and I tried to make a little show because I think the show is good for the people,'' Armstrong said. ``Today was no show. I was only trying to recognize Fabio.
``The last few kilometers I started to suffer, but I certainly had Fabio on my mind the whole time. Certainly those things helped and motivated me today.
``I was feeling very, very bad in the last bit, but I kept thinking about him and I did that for him,'' he said.
On another hot day, with the temperature close to 95 degrees, Armstrong won the 103-mile leg from Montpon-Menesterol to Limoges on a surprise attack with 18 miles left.
He won by 33 seconds over Andrea Ferrigato of Italy in 3 hours, 47 minutes, 53 seconds. (Complete results in Scoreboard. B4)
Defending champion Miguel Indurain, chasing a record fifth consecutive overall victory, finished in the pack, but maintained his overall lead of 2 minutes, 46 seconds over Alex Zulle of Switzerland.
Bjarne Riis of Denmark is third overall, 5:59 behind Indurain.
It was the second stage victory for Armstrong. In 1993 he won a stage at Verdun at 21, becoming one of the youngest to capture a stage in the prestigious cycling event.
Armstrong started well this year, winning the Tour DuPont, the biggest U.S. race, as well as a major West Virginia race.
He is on his way to finishing the Tour de France for the first time in three tries. The previous two years he dropped out before burning himself out in the high mountains.
Today's stage is an individual time trial of 29 miles around Lac de Vassiviere before Sunday's finish in Paris.
by CNB