LeMond Surges to Within Five Seconds of Tour Lead

At the beginning of a rigorous nine-mile ascent to the ski resort of Luz Ardiden Tuesday, Greg LeMond decided to make a move.

In the parlance of bicycle racing, he mounted an attack, one that moved him ever closer to winning his third Tour de France.

The maneuver at the end of the 133.5-mile 16th stage through the Pyrenees left LeMond only five seconds behind Claudio Chiappucci of Italy, who kept the yellow jersey as overall leader.

LeMond, of Wayzata, Minn., entered the stage in third place, 2 minutes 24 seconds back.

However, he established himself as the clear favorite with five stages left in the three-week, 2,137-mile race. The final stage will be Sunday in Paris.

“It’s very good that I didn’t get the yellow jersey today,” he said. “Chiappucci still has the pressure because he knows I am only five seconds behind.”

In what is considered the Tour’s second-most difficult stage, LeMond finished second in dramatic fashion.

LeMond crossed the line second, six seconds behind stage winner Miguel Indurain of Spain. Chiappucci, the leader since the 12th stage, was 14th, 2:25 behind Indurain and 2:19 behind LeMond.

Pedro Delgado of Spain, LeMond’s main rival, was eighth, 1:38 back. He is in third place overall, 3:42 behind Chiappucci.

Eric Breukink of the Netherlands, second starting the day, dropped to fourth by finishing 22nd. He trails 3:49.

Although Chiappucci lost much of his lead, he surprised experts by mounting attacks on the stage’s first two major climbs. LeMond fell about 1:30 behind at one point, which would have all but eliminated him if the lead held.

“I just wanted to see what the other ones were going to do,” Chiappucci said.

LeMond crept back to set up the final climb. Descending 6,900-foot Tourmalet peak, LeMond caught Chiappucci shortly before the start of the third climb, reaching speeds approaching 62 m.p.h.

LeMond, along with Indurain and Marino Lejarreta of Spain, pulled away in the final 4.2 miles. Lejarreta faltered with 1.2 miles left up the 5,600-foot mountain.

Indurain surged in the last 400 yards to win the stage. Still, he is 13th overall, 11:48 behind.

“It’s totally premature to say LeMond has won the race,” said Sam Posey, ABC Sports commentator covering the Tour. “(But) as you look at his momentum and the stages left, it would seem everything is going his way. Five seconds is meaningless with respect to Saturday’s time trial.

“He is in a position to blow Chiappucci away the next time they ride.”

Chiappucci headed the pack during the first half of the final climb Tuesday, as others waited to see if the Italian could last.

Then Fabio Parra of Colombia decided to attack. LeMond went with him, taking the lead. Only Indurain and Lejarreta could respond.

“I’m not disappointed today,” LeMond said. “I feel very, very well. My idea was to attack at the beginning. But everybody was waiting for me. I didn’t want to be the one to lead the others, so I waited for someone else.”

At this point in the Tour, some riders will help riders from opposing teams. But Chiappucci did not receive help, not even from Italian racers who often assist their countrymen.

Chiappucci will need help in today’s 17th stage, another hill climb in the Pyrenees, if he is to retain the yellow jersey. It is a 93-mile race from Lourdes to Pau.

“I won’t let any chances get away from me,” LeMond said. “With Delgado being three minutes behind, I would have to have a very, very bad day for Delgado to close. But I am in good shape to go attack Chiappucci.”

If so, LeMond will need to make an early move, as the final 25 miles into Pau are downhill.

“He will have to dynamite (Chiappucci) on the mountains,” said Felix Magowan, publisher of VeloNews.

The Tour is pointing toward Saturday’s 27.9-mile individual time trial at Lac de Vassiviere. LeMond, one of the world’s best riders in such stages, is expected to have control by then.