Fignon Breaks Away, Takes Lead : LeMond Drops 26 Seconds Back in Uphill Battle, but . . .

If the favored Frenchman, Laurent Fignon, wins the Tour de France, he will be able to look back on the final 2 1/2 miles of the excruciating climb up l’Alpe d’Huez Wednesday as the test of his endurance and courage that separated him from his challengers, most notably American Greg LeMond.

Known as “le puncheur” because of his ability to put away opponents when it appears as if he is destined to defeat, Fignon, a two-time champion, attacked near the end of the tour’s most demanding stage, leaving the struggling LeMond behind and reclaiming the leader’s yellow jersey with only four days remaining in the 21-stage, 2,030-mile race.

“Suddenly, I felt as if I had wings,” Fignon said.

Behind by 53 seconds when the 100.4-mile, 17th stage began at Briancon, Fignon, 28, has a 26-second lead over the second-place LeMond, who was unable to respond when the Frenchman found the reserve to pull away on one of the tour’s most challenging climbs.

“My legs began to feel like lead near the end,” said LeMond, 28, who in 1986 became the only American to win the cycling’s most prestigious race. “I can’t describe the pain I had to go through at the end. I was beyond my limits.”

But victory is still within his grasp. If Fignon does not extend his lead significantly during the next three stages, LeMond is capable of catching him in the final stage, a 15.2-mile time trial Sunday from Versailles to Paris. It would be the first time since 1968 that the champion has been determined on the final day.

LeMond said last Sunday that the ideal situation for him would be to trail Fignon by about 15 seconds entering the final time trial.

No matter what occurs between now and then, this already will be remembered as one of the the most exciting of the 76 tours. That is due in large part to LeMond, who was not expected to be a factor after missing much of the last two years with various injuries. He was near death in March of 1987 from a gunshot wound suffered in a hunting accident.

But LeMond has earned the yellow jersey twice this year, most recently last Sunday when he reeled in Fignon during a time trial as the cyclists entered the Alps and carried a 40-second lead into the tour’s final week. He extended the lead to 53 seconds over Fignon Tuesday, although the American admitted afterward that he was fatigued and expressed concern about the next stage.

Of the six most difficult climbs on the tour, three of them faced the cyclists Wednesday. The worst was saved for last, 8.3 miles almost straight up the formidable l’Alpe d’Huez.

Gert-Jan Theunisse of the Netherlands won the stage in 5 hours 10 minutes 39 seconds. But that was inconsequential as the three leaders, LeMond, Fignon and defending champion Pedro Delgado of Spain, waged their own race.

Delgado began the day in fourth place, 2:48 behind LeMond. As the best hill climber among the three leaders, Delgado was expected to make his move. But with only 2 1/2 miles remaining on l’Alpe d’Huez, he was still in a pack with LeMond and Fignon. They left France’s Charly Mottet, who was in third place after Tuesday, behind at the foot of the hill.

That was the point of Fignon’s ambush as he left LeMond and Delgado far behind. Delgado finally went after Fignon, catching him about one mile later. But LeMond was spent at the end of a punishing day in blistering heat.

Delgado finished second in the stage, but his time was the same as Fignon’s, 1:09 behind Theunisse. LeMond finished fourth, another 1:19 behind.

“I saw LeMond’s shoulder go down, and he didn’t react when I went away,” Fignon said. “Delgado had to make a big effort to catch me, and he couldn’t attack. I didn’t want to lose a single second to Delgado, and I achieved it.”

Delgado moved into third place overall ahead of Mottet, but the Spaniard is 1:55 behind Fignon and may find it difficult to make up time with the most difficult of the Alpine stages behind him. The cyclists will remain in the Alps for the next two stages, but neither is nearly so demanding as the one Wednesday.

“I was surprised by Fignon’s attack,” Delgado said. “It will be difficult to win the tour now, but I don’t want to give up. I will try something in the next two days. Anyone can have a bad day, after all.”

With about 250,000 people crowding the slopes on the final hill, Fignon recaptured the yellow jersey on its 70th anniversary. On July 19, 1919, Henri Desgrange, who founded the tour, decided to show off the leader by putting him in a distinctive color.

Whether Fignon can keep the yellow jersey may not be determined for another four days.

“We always say that the rider who wears the yellow jersey at l’Alpe d’Huez wins the tour,” he said. “I hope it’s true this time, but the race is not over yet.”

Jeannie Longo of France moved steadily away from the field, scoring another convincing stage victory in the women’s Tour de France.

For the second consecutive day, Longo won easily, winning the 50-mile seventh stage from Briancon to St. Jean-de Maurienne in the Alps.

Maria Canins of Italy, like Longo a two-time champion, was second, 1:33 behind. She trails Longo in the overall standings by 7:04. American Inga Thompson took 22nd in the stage but stayed third overall as she was in a group that finished 2:52 behind.