MONTPELLIER, France — Thomas Voeckler stayed with the big Tour de France favorites in the mountains.
He’s had the lead for six days. And no less a cycling connoisseur than Lance Armstrong thinks the Frenchman could be wearing the yellow jersey when the race ends Sunday in Paris.
The biggest doubter is Voeckler.
“I will fight, of course, but I musn’t be dishonest,” Voeckler said after Sunday’s flat Stage 15, won by British sprint star Mark Cavendish. “I consider that I have zero percent chance of winning the Tour de France.”
For many French fans, Voeckler has rekindled cautious optimism that cycling’s greatest prize could return home for the first time since 1985, the last of Bernard Hinault’s five victories.
Voeckler’s retort: Don’t expect me to do it.
“I don’t want to lie to the public,” he said. “Maybe it would make for good publicity, I don’t know, but it doesn’t interest me. I’m not going to announce to the French people that ‘I’m in yellow, I have a chance to win.’ “
Such humility has been virtually unheard of at cycling’s premier event in recent years. Armstrong and three-time champion Alberto Contador of Spain unabashedly bared their ambition from the outset.
“It’s not a question of wanting. Everybody would like to win the Tour,” Voeckler said. “It’s true that since Bernard Hinault, the French people want a winner. I really sense it well.”
Voeckler leads Frank Schleck of Luxembourg by 1 minute, 49 seconds, and Cadel Evans of Australia is third, 2:06 back. Schleck’s younger brother, Andy, is 2:15 behind in fourth and Ivan Basso of Italy is fifth — 3:16 off the pace. Contador is seventh, four minutes behind.
Voeckler doesn’t expect to hold off probable attackers in two punishing days in the Alps on Thursday and Friday, each featuring uphill finishes. Then, on Saturday, there’s a final individual time trial — a discipline in which he isn’t among the best — in and around Grenoble. The race ends Sunday.
On Sunday, Voeckler and the contenders cruised across after Cavendish in the mostly flat, 120-mile route from Limoux to Montpellier that favored sprinters.
The British rider overcame high winds and “bashing” among riders in the pack for his fourth stage victory this year and the 19th of his career. He nosed ahead of American Tyler Farrar, who rides for the Boulder-based Garmin-Cervelo team, in second, and Alessandro Petacchi of Italy in third.
Cavendish is now three career stage wins behind Armstrong, who is fifth with 22. Belgium’s Eddy Merckx holds the record with 34.
Tour de France
A brief look at Sunday’s 15th stage:
Stage: After three tough days in the mountains, Sunday was a primarily flat day, with only one small climb on the 120 miles from Limoux to Montpellier.
Winner: A fourth stage victory this year, and 19th of his career, for the Manx missile, Britain’s Mark Cavendish. He edged American Tyler Farrar of Boulder’s Garmin- Cervelo team and Alessandro Petacchi of Italy, in a bunch sprint. Cavendish keeps the green jersey at the top sprinter.
Yellow jersey: Thomas Voeckler of France had an easy time keeping the jersey on the flat stage. He leads the older Schleck brother, Frank, by 1 minute, 49 seconds.
Where’s Alberto Contador? The three- time Tour winner finished in 43rd place, with the same time as the winner and main rivals. He is four minutes behind Voeckler in seventh.
Garmin-Cervelo: Farrar finished second in the 15th stage in a sprint to the finish. Tom Danielson remained ninth in the overall standings after finishing the stage in 44th. He is 5:46 behind Voeckler.
Quote of the day: “Today was brutal. . . . It was full-on all day, fighting for position.” — American cyclist George Hincapie
Today: The second and final rest day in the race will be a welcome break for the riders before they head to the mountains again for the crossing of the Alps.
The Associated Press
