Originally published Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Tour de France | Stefan Schumacher revels in possession of yellow jersey — if only for a day

Stefan Schumacher finished the 18.3-mile individual trial in 35 minutes, 44 seconds. In the overall standings, Schumacher leads by 12 seconds. He will probably hold the lead in Wednesday's long, flat stage, but he is under no illusions about keeping the jersey.

By NAOMI KOPPEL

The Associated Press

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LAURENT REBOURS / AP

Stefan Schumacher of Germany strains in the last kilometer of the fourth stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday. Schumacher finished the 18.3-mile individual trial in 35 minutes, 44 seconds.

Gallery | Four days of the Tour de France

CHOLET, France — Stefan Schumacher of Germany took the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, and now says everything else is a bonus. He knows his early lead won't last.

"Everybody dreams of this jersey," he said. "It's incredible. The moment on the podium, you see it a thousand times on television, and to be there for yourself — you can't imagine."

Schumacher captured the first time trial, but the big winner in the fourth stage may have been Australia's Cadel Evans. He gained more than a minute on his biggest challengers, a gap that will mean a lot when the decisive mountain stages arrive.

Schumacher finished the 18.3-mile individual trial in 35 minutes, 44 seconds. In the overall standings, Schumacher leads by 12 seconds. He will probably hold the lead in Wednesday's long, flat stage, but he is under no illusions about keeping the jersey.

"I didn't come to win the Tour," he said. "My goal was to wear the jersey one day and to win a stage."

That Schumacher is riding the Tour at all remains contentious. Stopped by German police for drunken driving in October, Schumacher's blood sample tested positive for amphetamines. He has consistently denied taking drugs. He wasn't punished by cycling authorities because the use of the drug outside of competition is not considered to be an offense.

Two Americans are well-positioned after excellent time trials. Christian Vande Velde is sixth, 41 seconds behind Schumacher. George Hincapie is one place and six seconds farther back.

Wednesday is the fifth stage — the longest and flattest of the race. The route takes riders 144 miles east, setting them up for medium climbs of the Massif Central, beginning Thursday.

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