Tour De France Becomes an Uphill Battle : Racing: Leaders play it safe in today’s 15th stage. Next leg looks to be the most important, with three major climbs on way to Luz Ardiden.

Greg LeMond, Eric Breukink and Pedro Delgado, conserving themselves for Tuesday’s more difficult stage, finished almost five minutes behind Frenchman Charly Mottet in today’s 15th stage of the Tour de France.

The 105.5-mile leg from Millau to Revel was flat and dull, with the leaders staying in the pack and out of trouble.

Overall leader Claudio Chiappucci of Italy gained three seconds over the main contenders and leads by 1 minute, 52 seconds over Breukink, 2:24 over LeMond and 4:29 over Delgado.

Mottet averaged a fast 25 m.p.h. to finish in 4 hours, 13 minutes, 56 seconds.

Mottet, who had a disappointing first two weeks of the Tour and was only 37th overall, more than a half-hour behind Chiappucci, was understandably delighted.

“This is a beautiful victory for me,” he exclaimed soon after crossing the line, arms raised in triumph.

“I was working for (French teammate Thierry) Claveyrolat but I felt so good I decided to have a go myself. It was difficult but I finished very strongly.”

Mottet, 27, placed sixth in last year’s Tour. Despite brilliant performances in shorter stage events, he has rarely shone in the race that counts most.

After starting among the favorites for this year’s race but flopping once again, he acknowledged only a few days ago that he was probably not cut out to be a Tour de France champion.

Temperatures cooled slightly, but it was still close to 80 degrees.

Tuesday’s 16th stage looks to be the most important of the Tour, with three major climbs on the way to Luz Ardiden.

As expected, the title will be decided in the final stages.

Also as expected, LeMond is one of the contenders as the race heads to Paris, where it will finish on July 22. The American had a number of question marks prior to the Tour. But once it started, LeMond was ready.

The two-time champion said the key to the race will be the final two mountain stages, especially the route to Luz Ardiden.

LeMond said he doesn’t think Chiappucci is the main competition.

“I think that Delgado and Breukink are the ones to watch. Chiappucci is not a major contender.”

Delgado is especially dangerous. The Spaniard is a noted climber and very motivated this year. He will have a number of home-country supporters as the Tour enters the mountain range that borders France and Spain.

Luz Ardiden ends the second-most difficult stage of the Tour, with three major climbs over the last 36 miles.

“I prefer it to be tough,” LeMond said. “Usually, I am very consistent. When I have a weak day, I usually don’t manage to lose time. I am counting on Luz Ardiden to make the difference.”

When he gained 30 seconds on Delgado in Saturday’s stage, LeMond was hoping to cut more after he and Breukink pushed the action in the 13th stage. That helped chop almost five minutes from Chiappucci’s lead.

LeMond’s cause got some bad news today. His British colleague on the “Z” team, Robert Millar, had to give up with an upset stomach.

Millar is the best climber in LeMond’s team and had been expected to help his leader in Tuesday’s crucial 16th stage, a tough 133.6-mile mountain ride in the Pyrenees from Blagnac to Luz Ardiden.