LeMond: Too Little, Too Late : Tour de France: Now that the overall title is out of sight, the goal is merely to win one stage.

The Tour de France does strange things to those who ride in it, even Greg LeMond.

Thursday, the three-time winner perched on the steps of the motor home he imported from the United States and tried to explain what had happened during Stage 19 of the event.

He spoke softly, alternating English and French, while journalists hung over him and fans battled behind microphones, cameras and note pads for a glimpse.

“I woke up this morning and my legs were wobbly and fatigued, and I thought that it was going to be like the last few days,” LeMond said. “(Then) I felt 100% better than Wednesday. I can’t explain why all of a sudden I felt good. The Tour is like that. It does weird things. Wednesday, I suffered more than any time previously in the tour.”

LeMond took off with four other noted hillclimbers up Le Revard, the final mountain climb in the 109-mile stage from Morzine to Aix les Bains. He pushed the pack for the remaining 14 miles of the race, desperately chasing eventual stage winner Dmitri Konyshev, but finished 14 seconds behind the Soviet rider. LeMond was back, albeit it too late. But there was pride and then some.

Left behind him was Miguel Indurain, the Spaniard who took the yellow leader’s jersey from LeMond on July 19. Indurain had eliminated LeMond’s chances of a fourth Tour victory by punishing him with more than nine minutes of additional time in two rugged mountain stages through the French Alps Tuesday and Wednesday.

Because stage racing adds accumulated time after each race to determine the leader, the name of the game is, “Follow the Leader and Drop Him When You Can.”

Indurain learned how to drop LeMond while LeMond battled to try to follow him. LeMond was battling an infection and skin ulcers on his buttocks and feet the past week.

“I’m not saying I would have won the Tour had I been healthy,” he said. “What would it say (about the Tour) if I came here and won every year. This is proof of how grueling an event this is and adds value to how hard it is to win.

“If you lose just 1% of your ability (through sickness or fatigue) in the mountains, you can lose five minutes to a guy like Indurain or Gianni Bugno. It is always good when you appreciate ability.”

Indurain has humbled LeMond, a man rarely humbled in cycling’s premier test of will and stamina. For the first time since 1986, LeMond knows he will not win the Tour de France. Indurain is too strong. LeMond knew that after the stage to l’Alpe d’Huez Tuesday but made the statement publicly for the first time Thursday. “Indurain is by far the strongest now,” LeMond said. “I have no excuses. Maybe if I had been healthy . . . but that’s the Tour.”

LeMond admittedly had too many off days, which is portentous in the Tour. He remains 12 minutes 25 seconds behind Indurain in eighth place, with three stages remaining. He said his goal is to win one of the remaining stages.

“I have the capacity to win a stage, perhaps the time trial on Saturday. I felt that good today, so take note,” he added.

Not bad for a man rumored earlier in the week to be quitting the race.

“You don’t just quit the Tour de France; it’s too easy to quit, and that’s the challenge,” LeMond said. “I have a responsibility to my team, my sponsor and myself. I prepare the entire year for this race.”

LeMond finished second in a stage as late as Monday. He also wore the leader’s jersey four days and finished in the top three in stages three other times during this Tour.

“Some great cyclists don’t have that good of a career at the Tour,” said LeMond’s coach, Roger Legeay.

Of course, LeMond is not just some cyclist.

“I have no excuses, no mysteries to hide. The Tour is like no other event physically,” he said. “I’ve learned how to accept defeat. That has been my best accomplishment this year. I’ve suffered much harder not winning.”