TOUR DE FRANCE : Despite Rain, Bauer Keeps Grip on First

In a day marked by rain and demonstrations, Canada’s Steve Bauer held onto first place as the Tour de France headed into the country.

Bauer finished in the pack on the third stage today, a 144.5-mile stretch from Poitiers to Nantes, near the west coast of France.

Moreno Argentin of Italy won the stage with a modest breakaway near the end of the leg that was marked by showers throughout the day. Argentin, the 1986 world champion, was 2 minutes, 28 seconds ahead of France’s Christophe Lavainne.

The route was changed about 54 miles into the leg when some sheep farmers blocked the road with trees and manure to protest declining prices. That caused the directors of the route to restart en masse in Bressuire and add about three miles to the original distance.

“I didn’t expect the Tour de France to come right by my doorstep,” said a resident in the small village of Faye L’Abbesse when the world’s largest and most prestigious cycling race passed his house after the stage was detoured.

Bauer kept the leader’s yellow jersey by 10 seconds over Frans Maassen of the Netherlands; Ronan Pensec of France was third, 26 seconds behind.

Bauer gained the lead after the first stage and maintained it in the second stage’s team time trial.

In 1988, he led after the first stage, then lost it in the team trial in the afternoon. He regained it for four more stages before losing it in the Alps to eventual winner Pedro Delgado of Spain.

Bauer took over first place Sunday after he finished fourth in a morning individual stage, then maintained his position with the help of his American teammates.

Greg Lemond, winner of the Tour de France in 1986 and 1989, was 35th overall 35th, 10:33 behind. For today’s stage, he was 37th 2:29 behind.

Pedro Delgado, who wan the race in 1988, was 117th overall 117th, 11:58 behind.

Laurent Fignon, who won in 1983 and 1984 and last year was beaten by Lemond in a thrilling finish, was 29th overall, 10:28 behind the leader.