CYCLING / TOUR DE FRANCE : France’s Lino Still Is First After Team Time Trial

Pascal Lino of France held on to his lead in the Tour de France on Wednesday, but some of the favorites switched positions after the race’s only team time trial, which started and ended in Libourne.

Panasonic of the Netherlands won the 39-mile time trial in 1 hour 13 minutes 15 seconds. Team results are based on the fifth-best finisher. Although Lino’s RMO team placed 13th, he retained the yellow jersey as the Tour leader.

Gianni Bugno and Claudio Chiappucci of Italy capitalized on strong team showings to move into third and fourth place, respectively. Richard Virenque of France retained second place, 1:54 behind his RMO teammate.

Bugno reduced his deficit by almost 1 1/2 minutes and is 5:06 behind after Gatorade placed third. Chiappucci, whose Carrera team was second, is 5:20 back. Stephen Roche, the 1987 winner from Ireland, benefited from Carrera’s performance to move to fifth, 5:28 behind.

Miguel Indurain, the defending champion from Spain, gained a minute on Lino but fell from third to sixth when his Banesto team placed seventh. Indurain lost 43 seconds to Bugno, considered his main challenger for this year’s title.

“I think the team time trial is very particular to the Tour de France, even unjust,” Indurain said. “I don’t want to lose the Tour because of a few seconds lost in a team time trial.”

In the time trial, all nine team members try to ride in a group, with each member taking turns in the lead.

Three-time winner Greg LeMond, an outstanding team time trial rider, helped Z place fourth Wednesday. LeMond fell to 12th overall but moved from seven minutes behind to 5:55.

Motorola, the only American-based team in the Tour, was sixth, helping Steve Bauer of Canada gain more than a minute and move from 14th to 13th.

Today’s 131-mile fifth stage runs from Nogent-sur-Oise to Wasquehal in northern France.