Compiègne, France – Tour de France leader Fabian Cancellara has a message for coach Bjarne Riis: Thank you, and wish you were here.
The Swiss rider and his CSC teammates popped open champagne after his opportunistic victory in Tuesday’s wind- swept third stage, the longest of the three-week race. Cancellara extended his overall lead as cycling’s showcase event left Belgium and returned home to France.
Riis, however, had to miss the celebration. He is not at the race after confessing to using a banned performance enhancer during his 1996 Tour victory, a new blow for a sport battered by doping revelations the past 14 months.
Cancellara won Saturday’s prologue and has been the only rider to wear the leader’s yellow jersey. He credits his top form to Riis’ instruction.
“I’d have to say ‘Thank you.’ … He is the team,” Cancellara said. “I was sure wishing he was here.”
Riis’ absence has been hard, he said, “but we are professionals.” Cancellara had feared losing the yellow jersey to one of four breakaway riders along the 147-mile route from Waregem, Belgium, to Compiègne, northeast of Paris.
The pack caught up near the finish. Cancellara, having been shielded from high winds by teammates, had enough left to surge ahead and overtake the four with hundreds of yards to go.
“I have no words after winning something like that,” he said. “I attacked. It was instinctive.”
Sprint specialist Erik Zabel of Germany was second and Danilo Napolitano of Italy was third. They and the trailing pack took 6 hours, 36 minutes, 15 seconds to complete the course, averaging an unusually low 22 mph.
“It was a really long day but because of the wind we couldn’t go faster. We are not machines,” said Cancellara, who was caught in a group crash Monday and slightly injured his left hand.
Cancellara extended his lead by 10 seconds by gaining bonus points for the victory. He leads Andreas Kloeden of Germany by 33 seconds.
David Millar of Britain is third, 41 seconds behind, and George Hincapie of the U.S. is fourth, 43 seconds back.
Tour de France
Third stage
147 miles from Waregem, Belgium to Compiegne
1. Fabian Cancellara, Switzerland, Team CSC, 6 hours, 36 minutes, 15 seconds; 2. Erik Zabel, Germany, Team Milram, same time; 3. Danilo Napolitano, Italy, Lampre-Fondital, same time; 4. Tom Boonen, Belgium, Quick Step-Innergetic, same time; 5. Robert Hunter, South Africa, Barloworld, same time.
6. Robert Foerster, Germany, Gerolsteiner, same time; 7. Robbie McEwen, Australia, Predictor-Lotto, same time; 8. Bernhard Eisel, Austria, T-Mobile, same time; 9. Mark Cavendish, Britain, T-Mobile, same time; 10. Heinrich Haussler, Germany, Gerolsteiner, same time.
11. Matthieu Ladagnous, France, Francaise des Jeux, same time; 12. Thor Hushovd, Norway, Credit Agricole, same time; 13. Sebastien Chavanel, France, Francaise des Jeux, same time; 14. Andreas Kloeden, Germany, Astana, same time; 15. Romain Feillu, France, Agritubel, same time.
16. George Hincapie, United States, Discovery Channel, same time; 17. Juan Antonio Flecha, Spain, Rabobank, same time; 18. Oscar Pereiro, Spain, Caisse d’Epargne, same time; 19. Francisco Ventoso, Spain, Saunier Duval-Prodir, same time; 20. Frank Schleck, Luxembourg, Team CSC, same time.
Also
45. Vladimir Gusev, Russia, Discovery Channel, same time; 51. Yaroslav Popovych, Ukraine, Discovery Channel, same time; 56. Alberto Contador, Spain, Discovery Channel, same time; 63. Benjamin Noval Gonzalez, Spain, Discovery Channel, same time; 76. Christopher Horner, United States, Predictor-Lotto, same time; 81. Egoi Martinez, Spain, Discovery Channal, same time.
86. Fred Rodriguez, United States, Predictor-Lotto, same time; 110. Christian Vandevelde, United States, Team CSC, same time; 126. Levi Leipheimer, United States, Discovery Channel, same time; 149. Sergio Paulinho, Portugal, Discovery Channel, same time; 187. David Zabriskie, United States, Team CSC, same time.
Tomas Vaitkus, Lithuania, Discovery Channel, abandoned.
Overall standings
(After three stages)
1. Fabian Cancellara, Switzerland, Team CSC, 15:12:08; 2. Andreas Kloeden, Germany, Astana, 33 seconds behind; 3. David Millar, Britain, Saunier Duval-Prodir, :41; 4. George Hincapie, United States, Discovery Channel, :43; 5. Bradley Wiggins, Britain, Cofidis, same time.
6. Vladimir Gusev, Russia, Discovery Channel, :45; 7. Tom Boonen, Belgium, Quick Step-Innergetic, :46; 8. Vladimir Karpets, Russia, Discovery Channel, same time; 9. Thor Hushovd, Norway, Credit Agricole, :49; 10. Mikel Astarloza, Spain, Euskaltel-Euskadi, same time.
11. Alexandre Vinokourov, Kazakhstan, Astana, :50; 12. Thomas Dekker, Netherlands, Rabobank, :51; 13. Manuel Quinziato, Italy, Liquigas, :52; 14. Benoit Vaugrenard, France, Francaise des Jeux, same time; 15. Jose Ivan Gutierrez, Spain, Caisse d’Epargne, :53.
16. Andriy Grivko, Ukraine, Team Milram, same time; 17. Filippo Pozzato, Italy, Liquigas, :55; 18. Alberto Contador, Spain, Discovery Channel, same time; 19. Andrey Kashechkin, Kazakhstan, Astana, same time; 20. Cadel Evans, Australia, Predictor-Lotto, :56.
Also
32. Levi Leipheimer, United States, Discovery Channel,1:00; 39. Sergio Paulinho, Portugal, Discovery Channel, 1:04; 48. Egoi Martinez, Spain, Discovery Channel, 1:07; 50. Yaroslav Popovych, Ukraine, Discovery Channel, 1:08; 69. Christopher Horner, United States, Predictor-Lotto, 1:13.
70. Benjamin Noval Gonzalez, Spain, Discovery Channl, same time; 73. Christian Vandevelde, United States, Team CSC, same time; 123. Fred Rodriguez, United States, Predictor-Lotto, 1:25; 186. David Zabriskie, United States, Team CSC, 4:24.
Upcoming stages
Today – Fourth stage, Villers-Cotterets-Joigny, 193 (119.9)
Thursday – Fifth stage, Chablis-Autun, medium mountain, 182.5 (113.4)
Friday – Sixth stage, Semur-en-Auxois-Bourg-en-Bresse, 199.5 (124)
Saturday – Seventh stage, Bourg-en-Bresse-Le Grand-Bornand, high mountain, 197.5 (122.7)
Sunday – Eighth stage, Le Grand-Bornand-Tignes, high mountain, 165 (102.5)
Monday – Rest day, Tignes
Tuesday – Ninth stage, Val d’Isere-Briancon, high mountain, 159.5 (99.1)
July 18 – 10th stage, Tallard-Marseille, 229.5 (142.6)
July 19 – 11th stage, Marseille-Montpellier, 182.5 (113.4)
July 20 – 12th stage, Montpellier-Castres, medium mountain, 178.5 (110.9)
July 21 – 13th stage, Albi, individual time trial, 54 (33.6)
July 22 – 14th stage, Mazamet-Plateau-de-Beille, high mountain, 197 (122.4)
July 23 – 15th stage, Foix-Loudenvielle-Le Louron, high mountain, 196 (121.8)
July 24 – Rest day, Pau
July 25 – 16th stage, Orthez-Gourette-Col d’Aubisque, high mountain, 218.5 (135.8)
July 26 – 17th stage, Pau-Castelsarrasin, 188.5 (117.1)
July 27 – 18th stage, Cahors-Angouleme, 211 (131.1)
July 28 – 19th stage, Cognac-Angouleme, individual time trial, 55.5 (34.5)
July 29 – 20th stage, Marcoussis-Champs-Elysees Paris, 146 (90.7)
Total: 3,569.9 kilometers (2,218.2 miles)
