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Stage 20
Armstrong
becomes second American to win Tour
By Francois Thomazeau
| 
Robbie McEwen of Australia
reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the 20th and final
stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Arpajon and
Paris
Sunday, July 25, 1999. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)
|
| 
Tour de France winner Lance
Armstrong of the U.S. waves on the podium the 20th and final stage of the Tour de
France cycling race between Arpajon and Paris Sunday, July 25, 1999. (AP
Photo/Michel Spingler)
|
PARIS, July 25 (Reuters) - Lance Armstrong
became only the second American to win the Tour de France on Sunday
at the end of the 20th and final stage won by Australian Robbie McEwen
in
a big sprint finish on the Champs-Elysees. The 27-year-old
Texan, whose career was abruptly halted by a cancer of the testicles
two years ago, finished in the
main bunch in Sunday's stage, which was once again a gentle ride along
the most famous Parisian avenue. ``It's finished. Those three
weeks were very hard for the legs and the mind,'' he said. ``It's an
unbelievable emotion,'' he added. Thirteen years before, Greg LeMond
had become
the first American to win cycling's showcase race, and he was crowned
twice more, in 1989 and 1990. Even if Armstrong does not emulate
his compatriot by winning the race again, his victory will remain as
one
the most fantastic comebacks in the history of sport. LeMond
and last year's winner Marco Pantani of Italy also returned to competition
after serious accidents, but
Armstrong's story was even more dramatic as he was thought lost to
cycling as he struggled against the cancer. His domination
in this Tour was such that the U.S. Postal leader, who won the four
most important stages in the race
-- the three time trials and the first mountain stage -- can claim
a place alongside the greatest Tour winners of the past. Before him,
only Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault,
Miguel Indurain and Laurent Fignon had won the three time trials on
the programme. Sunday's 143.5-kms from Arpajon to the French
capital was again no more than a lap of honor on the famous Parisian
thoroughfare for Armstrong and his team mates. The American's only
concern was to avoid a crash. The sprint finish was won by
McEwen, who prevented German Erik Zabel from winning his first Tour
stage since
1997. Zabel became the first rider to win the points
standings green jersey four times in succession. But unfortunately
for the Telekom team leader, he also became the only rider in the Tour
history to take the jersey
twice without winning a stage. The King of the mountains jersey,
one of the most coveted trophies in the race, went to Frenchman Richard
Virenque,
the man organizers refused to invite before the International Cycling
Union (UCI) forced him back in. Virenque, who had been kicked
out of the race on doping charges last year with the rest of his Festina
team, has now
won the best climber classification five times, once fewer than
Belgium's Lucien Van Impe and Spain's Federico Bahamontes, considered
the best two climbers of all time. Another former Festina
rider, Swiss Alex Zuelle, was second overall for the second time after
1995, when he was
runner-up to Indurain. Had he not lost six minutes in a crash
early in the Tour, Zuelle could have challenged Armstrong. He finished
7:37
behind the American in the final standings. Third place went
to Spanish climber Fernando Escartin, winner of the most demanding
mountain stage in Piau-Engalys
last week. The Kelme team leader, who was fifth two years
ago, finished 10:26 behind Armstrong overall. Italian Mario
Cipollini, winner of a record four successive Tour stages in the first
week of the Tour, and Belgian
sprinter Tom Steels, who won three stages, played the other leading
roles in this years' Tour. Organizers could also sigh in relief
on Sunday as only minor doping cases occurred in the three weeks of
the race, 12
months after a scandal which brought the sport near to collapse.
Armstrong said his main goals next season would be the Sydney Olympics
and the Tour in which fans hope to see him
compete against Pantani and German Jan Ullrich, the 1997 winner, who
both missed the race this year. The Tour was also the fastest
ever at an average speed of 40.273 kph and it was the first time since
1926 that no
Frenchman had won a stage.
Best young rider is Benoit Salmon. The
Banesto team wins the best team of the Tour award. Fifth King of the
mountain jersey for Virenque Jacky Durand wins the Combativity competition
even though he finishes last overall... Erik Zabel will have won the
sprinters overall competition without winning the
slightest stage... PARIS, France, July
25 Leading placings in the 20th and final stage of the Tour de France
over
143.5 kms from Arpajon on Sunday:
1. Robbie McEwen (Australia) Rabobank 3 hours 37 minutes 39 seconds
2. Erik Zabel (Germany) Telekom
3. Silvio Martinello (Italy) Polti
4. Stuart O'Grady (Australia) Credit Agricole
5. Carlos da Cruz (France) Big Mat 6. Lars Michaelsen (Denmark)
La Francaise de Jeux
7. Salvatore Commesso (Italy) Saeco
8. Tom Steels (Belgium) Mapei
9. Steffen Wesemann (Germany) Telekom
10. Gianpaolo Mondini (Italy) Cantina Tollo 11. Henk Vogels (Australia)
Credit Agricole
12. Christophe Moreau (France) Festina
13. Jacky Durand (France) Lotto
14. Mariano Piccoli (Italy) Lampre
15. Pascal Chanteur (France) Casino 16. Francois Simon (France)
Credit Agricole
17. Lucca Mazzanti (Italy) Cantina Tollo
18. Dimitri Konyshev (Russia) Mercatone Uno
19. Christophe Capelle (France) Big Mat
20. Ludovic Auger (France) Big Mat all same time
Final overall standings (after 20 stages,
3,686.8 kms)
1. Lance Armstrong (U.S.) U.S. Postal 91 hours 32 minutes 16 seconds
2. Alex Zuelle (Switzerland) Banesto 7 minutes 37 seconds behind
3. Fernando Escartin (Spain) Kelme 10:26
4. Laurent Dufaux (Switzerland) Saeco 14:43
5. Angel Casero (Spain) Vitalicio Seguros 15:11 6. Abraham
Olano (Spain) ONCE 16:47
7. Daniele Nardello (Italy) Mapei 17:02
8. Richard Virenque (France) Polti 17:28
9. Wladimir Belli (Italy) Festina 17:37
10. Andrea Peron (Italy) ONCE 23:10 11. Kurt van de
Wouwer (Belgium) Lotto 23:32
12. David Etxebarria (Spain) Kelme 26:41
13. Tyler Hamilton (U.S.) U.S. Postal 26:59
14. Stephane Heulot (France) La Francaise de Jeux 27:58
15. Roland Meier (Switzerland) Cofidis 28:44 16. Benoit
Salmon (France) Casino 28:59
17. Alberto Elli (Italy) Telekom 33:39
18. Paolo Lanfranchi (Italy) Mapei 34:14
19. Carlos Contreras (Colombia) Kelme 34:33
20. Georg Totschnig (Austria) Telekom 37:10 |
