Tour has new leader, for now
Schumacher wins time trial
Published: Wed, Jul. 09, 2008 12:30AM
Modified Wed, Jul. 09, 2008 01:43AM
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closeCHOLET, FRANCE -- Stefan Schumacher of Germany took the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, and now says everything else is a bonus.
He knows his early lead won't last.
"Everybody dreams of this jersey," Schumacher said Tuesday. "It's incredible. The moment on the podium, you see it a thousand times on television, and to be there for yourself -- you can't imagine."
THE TOUR TODAY
WHERE: The fifth stage is the longest and the flattest of the Tour, 144.2 miles from Cholet to Chateauroux.
WHEN: 8:30 a.m.
TV: Versus
TOUR UPDATE
TUESDAY'S STAGE: An 18.3-mile individual time trial beginning and ending in Cholet.
WINNER: Stefan Schumacher of Germany was fastest at every checkpoint, and he finished 18 seconds ahead of Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg and David Millar of Britain.
RACE LEADER: Schumacher took over the race lead from Romain Feillu. Kirchen and Millar are 12 seconds back.
QUOTABLE: "Everybody dreams of this jersey. It's incredible." -- Schumacher./factboxtext>
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Schumacher captured the first time trial in the three-week race, but the big winner in the fourth stage may have been Australia's Cadel Evans. He gained more than a minute on his biggest challengers, a gap that will mean a lot when the decisive mountain stages arrive.
Schumacher finished the 18.3-mile individual trial in 35 minutes, 44 seconds. Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg and David Millar of Britain finished second and third, both 18 seconds back. That is also the order of the overall standings, where Schumacher leads by 12 seconds.
He will probably hold the lead in today's long, flat stage, but he is under no illusions about keeping the jersey.
"I didn't come to win the Tour," he said. "My goal was to wear the jersey one day and to win a stage. I reached this goal, so everything else is a bonus."
That Schumacher is riding the Tour at all remains contentious. Stopped by German police for drunken driving in October, Schumacher's blood sample tested positive for amphetamines. He has consistently denied taking drugs.
He wasn't punished by cycling authorities because the use of the drug outside of competition is not considered to be an offense.
Evans, last year's runner-up, is in fourth place. He has a lead of 1:04 over his biggest challenger, 17th-place Alejandro Valverde of Spain, and a further 16 seconds over Carlos Sastre.
Two Americans are now well positioned after excellent time trials. Christian Vandevelde is sixth, 41 seconds behind Schumacher. George Hincapie, the faithful lieutenant of seven-time champion Lance Armstrong, is one place and six seconds further back.
Romain Feillu of France entered the day with the yellow jersey but finished nearly five minutes behind Schumacher.
"I gave a lot yesterday, and I was very nervous today," he said. "I didn't have the strength."
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