LeMond Maintains Lead in Cycling’s Tour de France

American Greg LeMond held on to the leader’s yellow jersey in the Tour de France cycling race today after finishing in the pack behind solo winner Joel Pelier of France in the sixth stage.

The 161-mile leg from Rennes to the modern city of Futuroscope was to be the longest of the 23-day, 3,250-kilometer event. Most of the race was conducted in the rain, as was Thursday’s time trial.

Most of the riders held back, and Pelier made a solo effort to win by 1 minute, 34 seconds in 6:57:45. Eddy Schurer of the Netherlands broke away from the pack in the final kilometer to finish second.

Eric Vandaerden of Belgium and Adrie Van der Poel of the Netherlands were third and fourth, respectively, with Rudy Dhaenens of Belgium fifth.

LeMond, the first American to win the prestigious race in 1986 and who missed the last two years, hung on to the overall lead by finishing in the main group. He still has a five-second advantage over France’s Laurent Fignon, the 1983-84 winner, with France’s Thierry Marie third, 20 seconds behind LeMond.

Another long stage is scheduled Saturday with a 160.5-mile leg from Poitiers to Bordeaux.