Fignon Could Not Have Won Tour--LeMond

Tour de France defending champion Greg LeMond said today that the withdrawal of archrival Laurent Fignon will make no difference in the result.

“It does not change anything. I knew from the very first day that he was not in a shape to win the Tour,” the American two-time Tour de France champion said.

Fignon, who won in 1983 and ’84 and who lost to LeMond by eight seconds last year, quit the race during Wednesday’s fifth stage from Avranches to Rouen, suffering from an ankle strain.

“I don’t know if he really suffered that much. But it is difficult to stand a race like the Tour mentally if you know you’re not at your best.

“I’m sorry for him, even if he has not been very kind to me lately,” LeMond said before boarding the plane taking the 195 riders from Deauville to Sarrebourg for Friday’s 126-mile sixth stage.

The ever-relaxed Californian felt that he was still the favorite to win cycling’s most prestigious title, despite the fine performance by his Canadian friend Steve Bauer.

Bauer has a 10-minute lead over all the field except four riders after a surprise breakaway in the first stage. LeMond is among those 10 minutes behind.

“I’m happy for Steve. He is a great friend of mine and the fact that he wears the yellow jersey and runs for an American team will do a lot of good to cycling in America,” LeMond said.

LeMond said he was confident he could make up for lost time in Saturday’s 38-mile time trial from Vittel to Epinal, which is expected to be the first real test of the race.

“I hope to recover two or three minutes over Steve, who is not supposed to be a great time trialist,” he said.

LeMond, who used a controversial triathlete handlebar to beat Fignon in last year’s final time trial, said he will be using the revolutionary design again in Saturday’s stage.

“I feel so comfortable that I could ride a five or six-hour time trial with it,” he said.

The new mono-grip handlebar designed by a skiing manufacturer helped LeMond take second place in last Saturday’s prologue.

“The handlebar is not just a gadget meant to impress my opponents psychologically. Cycling, like skiing, is about gaining seconds and equipment is very important,” he said.

LeMond’s teammate Ronan Pensec stands second overall, 34 second behind Bauer, and LeMond said he is ready to help Pensec if the Frenchman has a chance to win the Tour.

“But I’m still here to win it myself,” he said.