Riis Retains Lead; Radicals Make Threats
Uzbekistan’s Djamolidin Abdoujaparov won the 123-mile 14th stage of the Tour de France, and Denmark’s Bjarne Riis retained the overall lead Sunday.
Abdoujaparov broke away early in the Tour’s hottest day since the 21-stage race started.
Five-time defending champion Miguel Indurain finished with the overall leaders, 4 minutes 54 seconds behind Abdoujaparov in the rolling stage from Besse to Tulle across France’s Massif Central and remains in eighth place. He trails Riis by 4:38.
Abdoujaparov pulled ahead in the final 1 1/2 miles of a five-man break that held the lead throughout much of the day.
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Basque radicals threatened to put cyclists and fans of the Tour de France at risk when the race goes through Basque areas of Spain this week.
“We are not willing to allow the race through Basque territory unless there are substantial changes in the stages,” said an anonymous communique published in Egin, a Spanish pro-independence daily. The statement did not say what changes were being demanded.
The unidentified authors took responsibility for several bombs in the region that recently targeted tour sponsors, and said actions “would intensify in their scope and impact” as the race approaches.
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