| | Associated Press
SAINT-NAZAIRE, France -- Laurent Jalabert of France became
the new overall leader of the Tour de France after his ONCE team
won Tuesday's time trial, while Lance Armstrong dropped to third
place.
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Laurent Jalabert leads a very strong ONCE team. |
The victory margin was reduced after the ONCE team manager was
accused of foul play.
Jalabert's team finished the 43 mile race from Nantes to the
Atlantic port of Saint-Nazaire in 1 hour, 25 minutes, 36 seconds.
But Jalabert and his teammates later had 20 seconds wiped off
their finishing times after Manolo Saiz was judged to have unfairly
shielded a member of the team from strong winds on a bridge by
pulling up alongside him in his car.
Jalabert maintained his 12-second lead over teammate David
Canada. But Armstrong jumped from fourth to third, 24 seconds
behind the leader. Before the penalty, he was 44 seconds back.
Once's Abraham Olano slipped from third to fourth.
Armstrong's U.S. Postal team was second in the time trial. Jan
Ullrich's Deutsche Telekom finished third.
Britain's David Millar, on the Cofidis team, had held the yellow
jersey since Saturday's opening individual time trial. But after
Tuesday's stage, he slipped to 24th.
Eight of the top 10 places in the overall standings were held by
members of the ONCE team.
It was the first time since Laurent Desbiens in 1998 that a
Frenchman wore the yellow jersey as race leader.
"This stage was very important to us," Jalabert said. "We
were meticulous down to the last detail. If you start a stage like
this full of fear it's difficult to get anywhere. If you're
confident it makes all the difference."
Jalabert, who hadn't won a stage at the Tour de France since
1995, pulled out of the 1998 race at the height of its doping
scandal to protest police searches through the cyclists' hotels for
banned substances.
He then clashed with French authorities after refusing to
undergo mandatory health checks, was excluded from the national
team in 1999 and missed last year's Tour de France.
He said Tuesday's victory marked a crossroads in his career.
"It's a new beginning," he said. "I hope it lasts."
The teams set out with a strong, energy-sapping headwind
buffeting them all the way. Racing against the clock, teamwork and communication were keys.
Riders shuttled back and forth constantly to take turns against the
wind. Most of the race was flat except for a steady climb over a long
bridge heading toward the finish.
"There was a block headwind all the way," Stuart O'Grady of
Credit Agricole said. "Coming over the bridge was just hell."
Armstrong excelled in last year's time trials as he headed
toward a remarkable victory, only three years after being diagnosed
with cancer.
In the run-up to this year's race, his team again spent hours
trying to perfect its technique in the time trial and was looking
for a good dividend Tuesday.
The time trial came after two days of races along flat
countryside which proved a perfect setting for the sprint
specialists.
Belgium's Tom Steels, victorious three times last year, won both
stages. The race favorites were content to sit back and save their
legs ahead of the time trial and the grueling mountain stages
looming next week.
Wednesday's race covers 125 miles from Vannes to Vitre in
Brittany.
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ALSO SEE
Armstrong keeps safe distance in Tour's third stage
Rodriguez diary #3
AUDIO/VIDEO
 The ONCE team takes Tuesday's time trial.
avi: 1379 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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