LeMond Wins 19th Stage but Fails to Gain on Fignon

Greg LeMond maintained his slim chance of winning the Tour de France by taking the 19th stage Friday, but he gained no time on leader Laurent Fignon of France.

LeMond finished first in the 78-mile leg from Villard-de-Lans to Aix-Les-Bains with a final sprint. Fignon was second in the same time as LeMond--3 hours 17 minutes 53 seconds--with last year’s champion, Pedro Delgado, third, also in the same time.

That kept Fignon 50 seconds ahead of LeMond in the overall standings entering the final two stages of the 2,020-mile race. It would be his third Tour de France championship to one for LeMond, who in 1986 became the first, and only, American to win the world’s most prestigious bicycle race.

“I know it’s going to be difficult to win but I think it’s still possible,” LeMond said. “I congratulate Laurent Fignon for his performance in the mountain stages over the last three days, but I think I’m better on the flats.”

There is a relatively flat stage today, with little change in the standings expected.

“I’m hoping for a day off to let the sprinters do the work,” said LeMond, who plans to make his final push in Sunday’s 15-mile time trial.

“The last three days I hadn’t done well in the mountains, so now it will be easier in the time trial. I’m glad the mountains are behind me.”

The top three all tried to charge Friday, but there was no change in the overall standings as they finished in the top three.

Over the three mountains on the way, Fignon tried to get away as he did the two previous days. He led the group of leaders away from the pack.

But LeMond and Delgado countered every burst this time.

“Today, Fignon did the work because he was afraid of Delgado,” LeMond said. “Then I tried to get away in the descent, but it didn’t work.”

On the steep descent following the last climb, LeMond tried to break loose, and this time it was Fignon staying close as they remained in a bunch until LeMond won at the end.

“I’m not too happy in losing today, but Greg was stronger in the sprint,” Fignon said.

The Frenchman won in 1983 and 1984 but, like LeMond after his victorious year in 1986, has had some problems since.

Andrew Hampsten, the other top American, continued to have difficulty as he finished almost 10 minutes behind and dropped to 23rd place overall, more than 40 minutes behind LeMond.

Jeannie Longo of France scored her fifth consecutive stage victory and continued moving away from the field in the women’s Tour de France.

Longo, the overall champion in 1988 and 1987, won by 1 minute 35 seconds over American Inga Thompson in the 46-mile ninth stage from St. Christophe-sur-Guiers to Aix-Les-Bains. Her time was 2 hour 13 minutes 51 seconds.

Maria Canins of Italy was third for the day and stayed second overall.

In the standings, Longo had a lead of 8:44 over Canins, with Thompson third, 12:24 back.

The women’s Tour this year is 482 miles long and has 11 stages, ending just before the men’s Tour on the Champs Elysees Sunday.