Schumacher grabs TDF lead

2008-07-08 18:23

Cholet, France - German rider Stefan Schumacher won the biggest victory of his career on Tuesday, taking the first individual time trial of the Tour de France and the overall leader's yellow jersey.

Schumacher completed the 29.5km in 35 minutes, 44 seconds, ahead of Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg and David Millar of Britain.

The time trial began and ended in Cholet.

Schumacher took the yellow jersey from France's Romain Feillu, who won it on Monday following a daylong breakaway.

Time-trial world champion Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, who was the favourite for the stage, struggled from the beginning and finished fifth.

"My head is down, but you have to keep your head up when you see things you can do better for the next time trial," Cancellara said.

"It wasn't my day today, I think. I couldn't find the rhythm and the sensations I normally have."

Schumacher will likely hold the yellow jersey at least for another day as Wednesday's stage favours the sprinters and the pack is expected to stay together.

The 232km stage from Cholet to Chateauroux is the longest and flattest stage of the race.

Strong enough

But the big winner on Tuesday may turn out to be Cadel Evans, who saw all his main rivals for the overall title lose time to him.

The Australian finished fourth, while Alejandro Valverde of Spain was 23rd, more than a minute back, with his compatriot Carlos Sastre a further five places and nine seconds behind.

Feillu, who finished five minutes behind Schumacher, acknowledged that he had not been strong enough to hold on to the yellow jersey.

"I gave a lot yesterday, and I was very nervous today. I didn't have the strength," he said.

Schumacher is a controversial rider in this year's Tour. In January, German police announced that they had detected amphetamines in his blood when he was stopped for drunken driving on October 7, six days after he won a bronze medal at the road race world championships.

He was not sanctioned by cycling authorities because the use of amphetamines outside of competition times is not considered to be a doping offence.

- AP