Rest Day Is Activated by Talk of Faltering Indurain

Miguel Indurain’s declining chances of winning an unprecedented sixth consecutive Tour de France was the major topic Wednesday as the 151 surviving cyclists took their only rest day in the 21-stage race.

The Spaniard isn’t dominating this year’s race. After 10 stages, he is in eighth place, 4 minutes 38 seconds behind Danish rider Bjarne Riis, who took the lead Monday.

Considering Indurain’s position, the other contenders are looking at the final 11 stages without the 31-year-old cyclist at the center of their strategy for the first time since Indurain won his first Tour in 1991.

“Indurain is always in the race, but he has seven other riders in front of him,” said Tony Rominger, who is in third place.

Indurain has his work cut out for him. Ahead of him are three other riders within one minute of Riis, whose strong Telekom team has already won three stages in this year’s Tour.

Russian Yevgeny Berzin is second, 40 seconds behind, but will probably have to work alone because his Gewiss team isn’t very strong. Rominger is in third, with teammate Abraham Olano, the world road race champion, fourth.

The 2,418-mile Tour continues today with the 125-mile stage from Gap to Valence, and ends July 21 in Paris.

Riis said his team is working to control the race through a string of relatively easy stages this week leading up to the final climbing stages in the Pyrenees on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Our tactics are working to perfection. We’re making our rivals work, but at the moment it’s going perfectly,” Riis said.