CYCLING TOUR DE FRANCE : Alcala Wins Time Trial, but Bauer Retains Lead

Steve Bauer of Canada clung to the leader’s yellow jersey in the Tour de France Saturday as Mexico’s Raul Alcala vaulted into contention by winning the individual time trial.

The 38-mile leg from Vittel to Epinal Saturday gave the racers a chance to cut into Bauer’s lead.

But Bauer lost only a few seconds to the major contenders, with Alcala making the biggest advance by winning the seventh stage in 1 hour 17 minutes 5 seconds.

Bauer has a 17-second lead over Ronan Pensec of France. Italy’s Claudio Chiappucci is third, 1:11 back, and Frans Maassen of the Netherlands dropped to fourth, 1:16 behind.

Alcala is fifth, 7:19 behind Bauer.

Bauer, who has led since the opening stage, finished 14th Saturday in 1:19:48 over the wet roads in eastern France. An intermittent rain affected the times of the major contenders, who started later, including two-time champion Greg LeMond.

LeMond improved to seventh overall, but gained only 32 seconds on Bauer and trails the leader by 10:09.

LeMond had been favored to win the time trial. He finished fifth, more than two minutes behind Alcala.

“What’s done is done. But we’ll see later,” LeMond said.

The American won the first time trial last year to take the overall lead.

“I am not tired. I don’t even feel that I’ve ridden that many kilometers,” LeMond said. “But in weather like this, it’s difficult to gain a lot of time on the others.

“Right now I feel the men to beat are Alcala and (1988 champion Pedro) Delgado,” LeMond said.