Ready for Move on Mountains

Monsters for some, manna for others, the mountains of the Tour de France offer Lance Armstrong a chance to pull away from rivals as he goes for a fifth straight title.

Armstrong was second overall, behind a teammate, after Friday’s 142.6-mile sixth stage from Nevers to Lyon.

But except for a couple of noteworthy hills, the stage -- like the five others earlier this week -- was relatively flat. The French Alps, where the riders head today, are entirely different.

“Until now it’s been a psychological game to see where everyone is situated,” said Johan Bruyneel, sporting director of Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service team.

From today, Bruyneel said, “the real Tour de France begins.”

Among those expected to struggle in the climbs is Italian rider Alessandro Petacchi, the sprinting star of the Tour’s first week. Finding hidden reserves of strength, he swept past opponents in the dash at the finish Friday, taking his fourth victory in six days of cycling’s premier event.

Armstrong finished 39th, saving energy for the mountains, where he excels. His U.S. Postal Service teammate Victor Hugo Pena kept the top spot in the overall standings -- thanks to a one-second lead over Armstrong.

But Pena, the first Colombian to wear the overall leader’s yellow jersey, said that in the Alps, the Postal team’s goal is to help Armstrong equal the record of five successive victories held by Miguel Indurain.

“I’m going to do my job as a teammate to make sure Lance wins his fifth Tour de France,” Pena said. “Lance Armstrong will have the yellow jersey.”

The 140.12-mile haul today from Lyon to the ski resort of Morzine-Avoriaz is the Tour’s longest stage and the first of three days of alpine ascents. Four big climbs come later in the Pyrenees.

Today’s route includes the 5,342-foot Col de la Ramaz, not the Tour’s biggest climb but daunting nonetheless.

“A lot of people will look at it as a medium mountain day, not a monumental day,” Armstrong said.

The Ramaz ascent is “the first real climb,” Bruyneel said. “It’s a chance to see who is in good shape and who’s not.”

Bad days in the mountains can shape a Tour’s outcome.

Armstrong said he was lucky not to lose the event in 2000 on a climb to Morzine, when he ran out of energy because he hadn’t eaten enough. He struggled on, losing more than a minute to key rival Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner who is putting up a strong challenge again this year.

Petacchi, usually strong on flat finishes such as Friday’s, was among the riders not relishing the prospect of the mountains.

“As soon as the road begins to climb, it’s very difficult for me,” the Italian said.

Petacchi won Friday’s stage, averaging 27.7 mph despite 90-degree heat.

*

(Begin Text of Infobox)

Tour de France

Highlights from the sixth stage:

* Stage: Nevers to Lyon, 142.6-miles ending in France’s second-largest city.

* Winner: Italy’s Alessandro Petacchi, in 5 hours 8 minutes 35 seconds. It was his fourth stage victory of this Tour.

* How Others Fared: Four-time winner Lance Armstrong finished 39th. Germany’s Jan Ullrich, the 1997 winner, was 19th. Home favorite Richard Virenque finished 41st, and American Tyler Hamilton, riding with a fractured collarbone, finished 48th.

* Next Stage: Lyon to Morzine-Avoriaz, 142.91 miles in the French Alps, featuring the Col de la Ramaz -- which peaks at 5,342 feet.

* On the Web: For live updates of each day’s Tour de France stage, complete standings, cyclist profiles and course information, go to: latimes.com/tour.