Popovych’s Ride Picks Up Team

If Lance Armstrong drops in on the Tour de France as expected next week, he’ll have something to celebrate.

His Discovery Channel squad, struggling at its first Tour without the seven-time champion, had its first stage winner on Friday, in young Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych. U.S. rider Floyd Landis kept the overall lead.

The now-retired Armstrong, a part owner of the Discovery squad, is expected at the race Tuesday or Wednesday, said team spokesman P.J. Rabice. Given the struggles his ex-teammates faced, they could probably do with his advice and help.

Discovery came to the Tour with several riders touted as possible contenders to pick up where Armstrong left off. George Hincapie, who rode with the Texan during all seven of his wins, got the team off to a quick start by placing second in the opening short time trial and by taking the overall race lead the next day.

But it was all downhill from there as Discovery failed to place any riders in the top 15 in the first long time trial last weekend. Hopes of a rebound seemed all but dashed when Hincapie and other Discovery riders melted on the hardest day in the Pyrenees on Thursday.

Popovych’s stylish win Friday -- he rode alone to the finish in the medieval walled city of Carcassonne -- could not have come at a better time, especially since Discovery lost two riders who dropped out of the Tour with injuries earlier in the day.

In the morning Discovery’s race manager, Johan Bruyneel, had sought to rally his riders.

“This morning, coming out of the bus, Johan told me, ‘You need to go and win a stage.’ Now, that’s done,” Popovych said. “We’re going to use our imagination to do some beautiful things in the stages that are left.”

The 26-year-old, who won the white jersey awarded to the Tour’s best young rider last year, had started the day in 23rd place, nine minutes behind Landis. He moved up to 10th place, 4:15 behind Landis.

Popovych covered the 131 miles in 4 hours 34 minutes 58 seconds.

The Discovery riders who dropped out were Paolo Savoldelli, a two-time Tour of Italy champion, and Spain’s Benjamin Noval.

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AT A GLANCE

Friday: The 12th stage took riders on a 131.4-mile trek from Luchon to Carcassonne.

* Winner: Yaroslav Popovych, a Ukrainian on the Discovery Channel team, in 4 hours 34 minutes 58 seconds. Italy’s Alessandro Ballan of Lampre was second, and Spain’s Oscar Freire of Rabobank was third.

* Yellow jersey: American Floyd Landis, the Phonak team leader, retained the overall lead for a second day.

* Quote of the day: “Emergency! We were just desperate.” -- Russian veteran and Popovych teammate Viatceslav Ekimov on Discovery’s hopes to bounce back from a so-far mediocre Tour with a stage victory.

*--* STAGE 12 RESULTS OVERALL LEADERS 1. Yaroslav 4:34:58 Floyd Landis, 53:57:30 Popovych, Ukraine United States 2. Alessandro :27 behind Cyril Dessel, :08 behind Ballan, Italy France 3. Oscar Freire, :29 behind Denis Menchov, 1:01 behind Spain Russia 4. Christophe Le :35 behind Cadel Evans, 1:17 behind Mevel, France Australia 5. Tom Boonen, 4:25 behind Carlos Sastre, 1:52 behind Belgium Spain

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