TOUR DE FRANCE : Top Contenders Continue Their Gains on Chiappucci

The second week of the Tour de France ended Sunday with the three major contenders--Greg LeMond, Eric Breukink and Pedro Delgado--making minor gains on overall leader Claudio Chiappucci of Italy.

Chiappucci lost 13 seconds in the 127.5-mile 14th stage from Le Puy-en-Valay to Millau after losing more than five minutes in Saturday’s stage. He is 1 minute 49 seconds ahead of Breukink, 2:21 ahead of LeMond and 4:26 ahead of Delgado.

Sunday’s stage through gorges and rugged mountains in the Massif Central region of south central France was not expected to produce many changes. Neither is today’s relatively flat 105.5-mile stage from Millau to Revel.

“Monday (today) will be more calm before the stage to Luz Ardiden,” LeMond said.

Luz Ardiden is the Tour’s second most difficult stage, with three major climbs over the last 36 miles in the Pyrenees. In the last two years, Spain’s Delgado has dominated this segment of the Tour.

Tuesday’s stage could be decisive. After two weeks of intense riding, the cyclists will be exhausted going into the arduous climbs of the Pyrenees. In such a close race, the championship probably will be won by the rider who survives the physical ordeal.

“I am counting on Luz Ardiden making the difference,” LeMond said.

Competitors will complete consecutive stages in the Pyrenees starting Tuesday with the stage from Blagnac, outside Toulouse, to Luz Ardiden.

Sunday, LeMond was content to place fifth as he kept watch on Breukink of the Netherlands and Delgado.

“Everybody was very, very nervous,” said LeMond, in third place overall. “We all waited for the final hill.”

Marino Lejarreta of Spain won the stage by breaking away on a final ascent up the Causse Noir, a steep climb of about three miles.

As temperatures reached 91 degrees, various riders tried attacks and breakaways that failed throughout the stage.

The group of riders came together at the final hill outside of Millau. LeMond, Delgado, Breukink and Chiappucci headed the top group. But Lejarreta broke away about two miles from the finish and won by 24 seconds over Spain’s Miguel Indurain. Italy’s Gianni Bugno, winner of the Giro d’Italia in June, was third, a second behind Indurain.

“In the last climb we watched each other,” LeMond said. “Breukink fell behind, but he was back very quickly. I think that Delgado and Breukink are the ones to watch. Chiappucci is not a major contender.”

Other than time differentials, there were no changes in the standings among the leaders. Delgado stayed fifth but moved within 4:26 of the lead, two seconds behind fourth-place Ronan Pensec of France.