Strong Finish Gives First Stage to Italy’s Cipollini; Fall Costs Riis

Italian Mario Cipollini, winner of four previous stages in the Tour de France and the overall leader briefly during the 1993 race, added another victory Sunday and took the yellow jersey.

Cipollini captured the first stage from Rouen to Forges-Les-Eaux, 119.3 miles, in a rush to the finish that gained him 20 bonus seconds. He also gained eight more seconds along the route in two intermediate sprints.

Cipollini moved into the lead by 10 seconds over Chris Boardman, winner of Saturday’s prologue. Third was Jan Ullrich of Germany, 12 seconds behind.

Bjarne Riis, last year’s overall winner, fell and dropped a minute to the leaders.

Belgian Tom Steels and France’s Frederic Moncassin, two other top sprinters, were second and third, respectively, Sunday.

A group fall, with about six miles left, broke the pack into three groups and hindered some of the favorites. Riis was among those and ended up in the second pack, about 58 seconds behind Cipollini.