Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 23, 1990 TAG: 9007230074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: PARIS LENGTH: Long
When the 156-man field swept through the last of eight laps on the Champs-Elysees and passed the finish line, LeMond jerked his arms upward in a sign of victory.
That gesture usually is left to the daily stage winner, but the American's jubilance was understandable.
Barely three months ago he had to drop out of a short race in Washington because of a combination of a lack of training and a viral infection.
Sunday, he once again was the winner of the world's greatest bicycle race, three weeks long and covering 2,112 miles.
"I was very nervous until I saw the Champs-Elysees," he said as photographers nearly overwhelmed him. "I almost cried when we reached it."
LeMond, who rides for the Z team, finished in a total time of 90 hours, 43 minutes and 20 seconds.
In second, 2 minutes, 16 seconds behind, was Claudio Chiappucci of Italy, who rode a valiant Tour and wore the yellow jersey for much of the later stages of the race until LeMond took it away Saturday. Third was Erik Breukink of the Netherlands, 2:29 behind.
Among his other rewards, LeMond collected a check for two million French francs, about $360,000.
The victor was loudly and persistently cheered in a country where he has been popular for nearly a decade. LeMond turned professional here in 1981 and has ridden for four French teams, including Z.
With no Frenchman among the top 10 leaders of the Tour for the first time since 1925, it seemed the public had adopted the American.
Nevertheless, the crowd appeared to be somewhat smaller than the traditional half-million people. A heat wave that has frayed the country for more than a week may have kept many of them away.
This was LeMond's third Tour victory in five years. He first won in 1986, missed the next year after he was shot in a hunting accident, missed 1988 because of a tendon infection, then returned in triumph last year.
The third victory moved him out of a crowd and into the elite company of Philippe Thys, a Belgian who won in 1913, 1914 and 1920, and Louison Bobet, a Frenchman who won in 1953, 1954 and 1955.
Ahead of them in Tour victories are only Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault, with five each. LeMond, who turned 29 in June, has said he plans to continue riding three more years.
On the 113-mile trip from Bretigny-sur-Orge to Paris, the riders chatted and mugged for the television cameras. They turned serious when the city approached and, with it, the chance for the last piece of glory.
Johan Museeuw, a Belgian, won the last mass sprint, finishing in a time of 4 hours, 53 minutes, 52 seconds. Second was Adriano Baffi of Italy and third was Olaf Ludwig, an East German.
LeMond did not bother to contest the final sprint and thus lost his chance to win a daily stage.
All spring he was criticized for being out of condition and failing to appear in spring races while wearing the rainbow-striped jersey of the world champion.
During the Tour, the criticism, mainly by some old-timers, focused on his alleged lack of panache, or flair, in not winning a stage.
In rebuttal to the criticism, LeMond pointed out in a news conference after Saturday's time trial that he finished second in the two biggest mountain stages, at Alpe d'Huez and Luz Ardiden.
"I think I've dominated this race from start to finish," he said. "If I had worried about individual stage victories, it's possible I would have lost the Tour de France."
He finished fifth in both the overall points competition and the mountain competition.
"There are always people who aren't happy with how you ride and when you ride," he said. "Eighty percent of the people may be for you, but there's always 20 percent who aren't."
He alluded to those who have been pointing out that he missed all the World Cup classics, or one-day races, this spring. He was sick and out of condition after a winter spent tending to commercial interests in the United States.
"I could ride every race in the world and give half my salary to the poor and I'd still be criticized," he said.
Prominent among his detractors has been Merckx, the Belgian who dominated the sport in the late 1960s and 1970s while competing from February to October.
"I think Merckx is jealous," LeMond said in a television interview. That was regarded as a reference to the American's salary this year of $1.5 million, probably what Merckx made in a decade.
"I think I'm as good in the Tour de France as Merckx was," LeMond said.
He got no argument from Luis Ocana, who long competed against Merckx and won the 1973 Tour.
"He's won two world championships and two Tours de France. What more can anybody want?" Ocana said.
How about three Tours de France and counting.
by CNB