Tour de France Cyclists Are Given Day Off Before Today’s Sixth Stage

After five races in four days in three countries, the remaining 195 cyclists in the Tour de France enjoyed an off day Wednesday as they were transported from Wasquehal in northern France to Dinard in the west.

Acacio da Silva of Portugal had the leader’s yellow jersey as the riders prepared for the sixth stage, an individual time trial of 45 miles from Dinard to Rennes in Brittany.

Mechanical problems with air transport delayed some of the teams from leaving Lille Airport, but by late Wednesday afternoon, all the teams were ready for the second part of the tour.

After flat courses south, the riders encounter the Pyrenees mountains and then head east before their next day off on July 17. After that, they have a long haul to Paris where the remaining riders will finish on July 23 with another time trial from Versailles to downtown Paris.

Da Silva has a 14-second margin over Soren Lilholt of Denmark, with Thierry Marie of France third, almost two minutes back.

American Greg LeMond, the 1986 champion, was 14th, 3:28 behind, after a fine weekend that included a fourth in the prologue.

LeMond is realistic about his chances this year after a hunting accident, an emergency appendectomy and knee and shin problems since he won the famous cycling race three years ago.

“If I finish in the first 20, I’ll be very happy,” he said. “In the top ten, as happy as in 1986. If I end up on the podium, I would consider it as my greatest victory.”