The Hindu : Sport / Cycling : Gonzalez takes 14th stage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 19, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cycling

Gonzalez takes 14th stage

NIMES (FRANCE), JULY 18. After two torrid days in the Pyrenees and with more pain lurking in the Alps, Lance Armstrong and other top riders caught their breath on Sunday, allowing Aitor Gonzalez of Spain to take victory in the Tour de France's flat 14th stage.

Gonzalez was among 10 riders who were so far down in the overall standings that the main pack, which included Armstrong, did not lay chase when the small escape group surged ahead with some 90 kilometres left to ride.

The stage win was Gonzalez's first in three Tours, and the first by a Spanish rider at this year's showcase race. The main pack was way back, still pedalling, when he crossed the line in Nimes, the picturesque end of a 192.5-kilometre swing through southern France from the medieval fortified city of Carcassonne.

When the trailing group finally came in 14 minutes later, Australian Robbie McEwen solidified his campaign to win the green jersey awarded to the Tour's best sprinter by dashing to the line ahead of other speedsters.

His 11th-place finish garnered him 15 points in the green jersey competition, taking his total to 225.

Erik Zabel of Germany, who picked up 11 points by finishing 15th, is second in the sprinters' standings — with 212 points. Norwegian Thor Hushovd, edged at the line on Sunday by McEwen, is third on 209 points. McEwen, who also won in 2002, is well-placed to take his second green jersey title at the finish in Paris on July 25 — if he makes it over the Alps this week.

Armstrong, whose eyes are fixed only on winning a record sixth Tour crown, cruised into a comfortable 39th place, alongside overall leader Thomas Voeckler. They both finished with the same time — 14:12 behind Gonzalez — meaning Voeckler retained his slim 22-second overall lead on Armstrong for at least another day.

Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner who had two disastrous days in the Pyrenees, placed 21st, also in the same time as Voeckler and Armstrong. The German remains 6:39 behind Armstrong overall — out of contention for the Tour title.— AP

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