Tour de France : Herrera Wins 14th Stage Despite a Fall

Luis Herrera of Colombia, despite a fall in the steep French Alps, won the 14th stage of the Tour de France Saturday.

He crossed the finish line 47 seconds ahead of Ludo Peeters of Belgium in the 110-mile stage.

Frenchman Bernard Hinault retained the overall leaders’ jersey. He also fell--only 310 yards from the finish.

Greg LeMond of the United States, who finished third with a pack of seven riders, retained second place overall but whittled 1:51 off Hinault’s lead.

The 24-day, 2,485-mile clockwise race around France will take the 157 riders left from the original 180 over hilly terrain today in the 147.5-mile 15th stage to Aurillac.

Herrera was tense and bleeding after the race. Race doctor Gerard Porte said the Colombian had slight face and shoulder wounds from his fall on the steep descent into Saint-Etienne.

“I increased my advance as the overall best climber,” Herrera said. “That’s what counts the most. I only hope that I won’t be too handicapped by my fall and the pain in my tendon, which bothered me today.”

Hinault, who received stitches in his nose after the race, walked silently across the finish line as police fought off a crowd of reporters and fans.

Italy’s Maria Canins won the 12-stage first-half competition in the women’s Tour de France bicycle race Saturday, finishing more than 13 minutes ahead of France’s Jeannie Longo, who won the 40.7-mile final stage, starting from Serrieres.

American Phyllis Hines was third overall, 22 minutes behind the winner.

According to international women’s cycling rules, no endurance race can exceed 12 legs, and the women’s Tour de France is being run in two phases. The second phase begins Monday in Laguepie, in southern France, and ends July 21 in Paris.

Canins, who completed the first half in an overall time of 23 hours 32 minutes 9 seconds, won what will be considered a national championship in category A of the international calendar. The combined overall time for the two phases will, in effect, determine this year’s women’s Tour de France winner.