Tour de France
LeMond escalates Armstrong feud

By Bonnie DeSimone
Chicago Tribune

CHRISTOPHE ENA / AP Lance Armstrong, center, five-time defending Tour de France winner, yesterday accused a French television reporter of trying to go through his hotel room while Armstrong was away. Armstrong also said he was "disappointed" at the accusations of doping leveled at him by former Tour champion Greg LeMond.

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FIGEAC, France — There was more skirmishing off the bike than on the roads of the Tour de France yesterday.

A second consecutive rolling stage in the hot, arid Massif Central left the overall standings largely undisturbed. The attenuated and largely tedious 10-day race before the real race, a chess game with only a couple of significant moves, is now officially over and at least some of the favorites are expected to take the initiative today in the first of two difficult Pyrenees stages.

The most electrifying sight of the day was provided by a half-dozen head of cattle who charged onto the course ahead of the peloton (main pack) about 75 miles into the 102-mile stage before veering off into an adjacent field.

No one was gored, but that same afternoon, Lance Armstrong found himself responding to some verbal jabs.

In an interview with the French daily newspaper Le Monde, three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond, the only other U.S. rider to win the race, made remarks that escalated a bitter feud with Armstrong.

LeMond said he thinks the use of performance-enhancing drugs is rampant in cycling and said he is skeptical of the accomplishments of any top cyclist, including Armstrong.

"There are no miracles in cycling," LeMond said in a pointed reference to Armstrong's comeback after cancer.

LeMond added that Armstrong's record of clean drug tests is not conclusive.

"The problem with Lance is that you can't have a discussion with him," LeMond said. "To him, you are either a liar or you are looking to destroy cycling. ... Lance is ready to do whatever it takes to keep his secret. But I don't know how he can continue to convince everyone of his innocence."

Armstrong responded by saying he was "disappointed and dismayed that for the past four years, Greg has continued to question my performances and my character."

"Greg LeMond was my idol as I grew up in cycling because he was a great champion and did amazing things on the bike," Armstrong said in a statement distributed to the media. "Many of his performances were so incredible, especially his remarkable return to form and win at the '89 Tour (after a hunting accident)."

Armstrong told reporters yesterday a French television reporter had come to the team hotel that morning after the riders had left, asking for a room list and access to the riders' rooms. The same reporter, he said, has been shadowing him for months.

"They ask sporting questions to our face, but as soon as we leave, they're digging in the rooms looking for dirt," he said. "And if you had left a B vitamin sitting there, that would be on TV. It would be a scandal. The scary thing is that, if they don't find anything and they get frustrated after a couple months, who's to say they don't put something there and film it and say, 'Look at what we found.' "

Although Armstrong did not name the reporter, French television reporter Hugues Huet denied Armstrong's allegations, The Associated Press reported. An assistant hotel manager the Chicago Tribune contacted, who gave her first name as Sophie, verified Armstrong's account and added Huet didn't identify himself as a journalist when he spoke to hotel staff.

Overall leaders

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

1. Thomas Voeckler, France, Brioches La Boulangere, 46:43.10.

2. Stuart O'Grady, Australia, Cofidis, 3:00 behind.

3. Sandy Casar, France, fdjeux.com, 4:13 behind.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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