TOUR DE FRANCE : LeMond Gains With Alps to Climb

Despite swollen feet and fatigue from an unknown virus, Greg LeMond proved Monday that the Tour de France is far from lost.

As temperatures soared to 104 degrees, the three-time Tour champion who almost dropped out Sunday led a surprising counterattack and finished second in Monday’s 134-mile 16th stage from Ales to Gap.

LeMond had problems when he and six other riders fell 62 miles into the stage. He quickly changed a wheel and restarted, but was forced to change bikes about 12 miles later.

He made up 27 seconds on Tour leader Miguel Indurain of Spain. Although LeMond remained in fifth overall, he trails by 4 minutes 42 seconds and is within striking distance as the race begins the first of two dramatic stages in the Alps today.

The first four leaders finished in a group to keep the standings intact. Following Indurain are Charly Mottet of France (3:00), Gianni Bugno of Italy (3:10) and Claudio Chiappucci of Italy (4:06).

Marco Lietti became the fourth consecutive Italian to win a stage after finishing two seconds ahead of LeMond.

If LeMond, 30, is to gain his fourth Tour victory, today is the day he must gain time on Indurain. In what could be the most decisive of 22 stages, Indurain, LeMond and 180 others will tackle the famed peak in the first Alp stage.

Last year, Bugno used a dramatic sprint to edge LeMond on l’Alpe d’Huez, a 13-kilometer, 21-turn climb that is uncategorized by Tour organizers. Uncategorized climbs, or hors , are the most strenuous.

“I don’t know if I will be among the best (today), but I hope so,” LeMond told reporters at Monday’s finish. “You can be good one day and bad the next.

“I told myself that if I improve in the coming days (after his collapse in the Pyrenees), this time could help me win the Tour.”

Last year, when LeMond was finding his leg strength on the cool mountain passes in the Alps, he finished almost 12 minutes ahead of Indurain in the all-important stage at l’Alpe d’Huez.

Indurain, however, was working as a domestique for Banesto team leader Pedro Delgado, a Tour contender. Indurain sacrificed his chances of a stage victory for his teammate.

Now, the roles are reserved, and Indurain holds the yellow jersey as leader of the 78th Tour de France. Delgado is 12th, 16:30 behind.

“If I have good legs, psychologically I am ready to race to the death,” LeMond said.

LeMond was unsure whether he can mount a serious attack on l’Alpe d’Huez or the smaller climbs up Col Bayard and Col d’Ornon in today’s 78-mile race.

“I’m not sure whether I’ve had enough days really to completely recuperate,” he told broadcaster Brian Drebber. “For me, I was getting worse, but hopefully I will turn around (today) but I’m not certain.”

Knowing what a tough competitor LeMond is in such a situation, Bugno said Saturday: “Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. LeMond is still capable of causing a lot of damage in this Tour.”

That will become much more clear after today and Wednesday’s 18th stage from Boug d’Oisans to Morzine, which has three more hard climbs.