The Hindu : Sport / Cycling : Kirsipuu wins first stage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 05, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cycling

Kirsipuu wins first stage

CHARLEROI (BELGIUM), JULY 4. Jaan Kirsipuu won and Lance Armstrong stayed safe. For both riders, Sunday's nervy first full stage of the Tour de France was mission accomplished.

Leaving the glory to Kirsipuu and saving himself for battles to come, Armstrong finished comfortably down the field. His eyes are fixed on the bigger goal of a record sixth Tour victory, not scrapping for wins in the hazardous and fast first stages of the three-week race.

A final all-out burst of speed secured Kirsipuu victory in the 202.5-km trek marked by first-day nerves and rain that turned roads treacherous. There were crashes, crowds, wind, punctures and a mighty finishing sprint to contend with — all factors that make the Tour's first week the part that Armstrong relishes least.

But for sprinters like Kirsipuu, an Estonian, such stages are their bread-and butter, the reason why they come to the Tour even though they have no prospect of overall victory.

Muscling his way to the finish in a gaggle of riders going flat out, Kirsipuu edged Australian Robbie McEwen and Norway's Thor Hushovd. ``The sprint was incredible for me,'' said Kirsipuu. ``I am really really happy.''

The overall leader's yellow jersey stayed on the young shoulders of Fabian Cancellara, a 23-year-old Swiss rider who won the debut time trial on Saturday. Armstrong finished 48th on Sunday and is third overall. He will be looking to secure victory in mountain climbs and time trials that come later.

There were several crashes, the first less than 15 km from the start in Liege, Belgium. It threw off Italian sprint maestro Mario Cipollini, making his Tour comeback after four years away, as well as Spain's Oscar Sevilla and French rider Guillaume Auger. They all rejoined the race, although Sevilla needed a new bike.

Austria's Bernhard Eisel also suffered a momentary lapse of concentration, touching wheels with a rider in front and falling heavily. He barrel-rolled across the wet tarmac and skidded to a stop in the roadside grass verge, but picked himself up to resume racing.

Another crash less than 4km from the finish in Charleroi, also in Belgium, unseated France's Nicolas Jalabert. For Armstrong and other contenders for the Tour crown, avoiding such accidents is a priority. Armstrong rode much of the race toward the head of the field with riders from his U.S. Postal Service squad. Their game-plan was to ``stay at the front, everybody together, try to protect Lance and make sure there's no big breakaways,'' said teammate George Hincapie. ``Mainly to stay out of trouble.'' — AP

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