Tour de France
Now, climb to the top begins

By John Leicester
The Associated Press

PETER DEJONG / AP Robbie McEwen of Australia exults after winning yesterday's ninth stage, but speedsters figure to retreat as the mountain stages loom.

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GUERET, France — Move over, sprinters. It's time for climbers to shine.

The charge for the Tour de France title intensifies today with the first mountain stage — a chance for five-time champion Lance Armstrong and other contenders to test their legs before mightier battles in the Pyrenees and Alps.

"It will be hard, especially if the race starts aggressively like it did today," Armstrong said after yesterday's ninth stage. "A lot of people will be going home if it starts like that."

Armstrong, 32, remained in sixth place overall, finishing 44th yesterday behind stage winner Robbie McEwen of Australia. Armstrong is 9 minutes, 35 seconds behind leader Thomas Voeckler of France.

Today's 147-mile trek through the Massif Central of central France is the longest of this Tour and has nine climbs, including the most difficult so far — a 3-1/2-mile ascent to 5,243 feet, which gets steeper as it goes up.

Armstrong is in the dark about the stage, having not checked it out like some of his rivals before the Tour started.

Sprinters who have dominated the mostly flat early stages will struggle. Such speedsters include McEwen. Climbers and all-arounders like Armstrong will move to the fore — possibly offering an early look at how strong the main contenders are.

"The Tour starts now," said American Tyler Hamilton, a former teammate and rival of Armstrong's. "The upcoming stages will really show who is here to win."

Even with one bad leg, McEwen was still the quickest rider of the first half of the three-week Tour. Head down, the Australian put on a burst of speed to win yesterday's ninth stage, racing along the barriers and pushing his wheel over the line just ahead of Norwegian champion Thor Hushovd.

Armstrong, who has been saving his strength for the tough and likely decisive final week, finished comfortably in the main pack. Jan Ullrich, his main rival, was 25th. Both finished in the same time as McEwen's 3 hours, 32 minutes, 55 seconds.

Armstrong's other main objective has been to avoid crashes like the one that took down Spain's Mikel Pradera, who plowed into a road sign and cartwheeled into the path of another rider. Both went on to finish.

"We just sat on the wheel, took it easy," said Armstrong.

McEwen became the first rider to win two stages at this Tour. But when he set out on the hilly, 99½-mile stage yesterday, he wasn't even sure he'd make it to the finish. Banged up in a mass crash on Friday, he rode with a sore back and knee.

"It's a beautiful victory," said McEwen, 32. "I gave all of my energy to that sprint."

Spain's Inigo Landaluze and Italian rider Filippo Simeoni had the win snatched away. They pedaled way out in front for much of the race but were gradually reeled in and overtaken by McEwen, Hushovd and others in the mass sprint to the line.

Voeckler retained the overall lead, meaning he will wear the leader's yellow jersey on Bastille Day. Armstrong is 55 seconds ahead of Ullrich.

Note

• Race director Jean-Marie Leblanc, hoping to cut down on accidents as cyclists sprint to the finish, said he is in favor of taking a rider's time 2 miles from the end of a sprint stage instead of the present 1 mile.

Overall leaders

Defending champion Lance Armstrong finished 44th yesterday and remained in sixth place, 9 minutes, 35 seconds behind.

1. Thomas Voeckler, France, Brioches La Boulangere, 36:36:31.

2. Stuart O'Grady, Australia, Cofidis, 2:53 behind.

3. Sandy Casar, France, fdjeux.com, 4:06 behind.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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