Tour de France : LeMond Still Leading--For Now

Greg LeMond of Minneapolis held the overall lead Sunday in the Tour de France, but Martin Earley of Ireland won the last lowland stage before the tour begins the ninth stage and its mountainous routes.

Sunday’s result hardly changed the overall standings, where LeMond maintains a five-second advantage over Laurent Fignon of France, a two-time winner of the bicycle race.

“I don’t think I can keep the yellow jersey (of the overall leader) in the next stage,” said LeMond, who became the only American to win the race in 1986. “Fignon now is stronger than me in the mountains. It will be up to him to take the race in hand. I won’t chase after everybody. Otherwise, I’d lose all my strength.”

LeMond has a cold because of last week’s rainy weather, and the long, flat rides have left him tired going into the Pyrenees.

All but 10 of the 188 riders still competing--including LeMond and the other serious contenders--finished together in a pack at the end of the 98-mile cruise from La Bastide d’Armagnac to Pau, which is at the foot of the Pyrenees.

Earley, Eric Caritoux of France and Michael Wilson of Australia broke away from the pack with almost 60 miles to go and managed to stay ahead. LeMond finished 33rd.

In a sprint, Earley beat Caritoux and Wilson to win the day’s stage in 3 hours 51 minutes 26 seconds--20 seconds ahead of the 178 riders who stuck together.

Andy Hampsten of Boulder, Colo. was in 102nd place (also 20 seconds behind Earley) and remained 4:44 behind LeMond in the overall standings. He dropped from 14th to 15th place overall.

“I feel strong, but I haven’t tested myself in the mountains,” Hampsten said. “You have to wait and see. I will keep my eyes open on every good climber. Whoever attacks, I’ll go with him.”

Last year’s winner, Pedro Delgado of Spain, remained in 28th place, 6:53 behind LeMond, after a disastrous start July 1 in Luxembourg.

“I haven’t lost the tour yet,” he said. “The Pyrenees, I know.”

Today’s stage takes the cyclists over five high passes and 91 miles from Pau to Cauterets, a mountain resort. The lead hasn’t changed since LeMond took over on Thursday by winning an individual time trial.

After traversing the Pyranees, the tour crosses over to the French Alps, before finishing its 2,020-mile loop July 23 on the Champs Elysees in Paris.