LYON, France, 12 July 2003 — Alessandro Petacchi’s domination of the Tour de France sprint stages took on a new dimension here yesterday as he bagged his fourth victory to pull level with illustrious compatriot Mario Cipollini.
Colombian rider Victor Hugo Pena retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey, with teammate and reigning champion Lance Armstrong just one second behind after the 230-kilometer ride from Nevers in blazing sunshine.
World champion Cipollini, whose Domina Vacanze team were not invited to this centenary Tour, must be watching with envy. For Petacchi, who despite being known in the peloton has only realized his full potential this season, is taking over the Lion King’s throne. Fresh from winning six stages in the Giro d’Italia in June — after which his team pleaded with him to compete on the Tour — Petacchi confirmed his reputation as the world’s fastest man at the finish line this year.
Not even a late bout of fatigue was enough to dissuade the speedy sprinter from La Spezia, who, starting 200 and 300 meters back, makes it look so easy. “Today’s win was the most unexpected of all,” said Petacchi, who came across the line ahead of up-and-coming Australian Baden Cooke (fdjeux.com) and Italian Fabrizio Guidi (Bianchi). Petacchi said he was so tired that he signaled to his teammates only two kilometers before the finish that he was in no shape to contend the mass sprint. “I even went to see Marzio (Bruseghin) with around two kilometers to go to say I wouldn’t be going for it,” he said. “Then Nicola (Loda) told me to get behind him and I stuck on his wheel until the red flag (at one kilometer to go). Then I found myself among the first ten riders so I was in a pretty good position.”
Petacchi’s win came moments after the peloton had swallowed up Stuart O’Grady, the Australian national champion, and ambitious young French rider Anthony Geslin. Both had kicked the stage into life with an early breakaway which ended, agonizingly, just 500 meters from the finish line.
O’Grady, who wore the yellow jersey for the best part of a week in 2001, became the virtual race leader after their gap stretched to more than 18 minutes before the peloton decided it was time to get moving.
After coasting past O’Grady and Geslin, Petacchi rode for another 200 meters before pummeling the pedals. The Italian came over the line with room to spare and had already raised his arms in the air before crossing the line.
The Fassa Bortolo rider’s efforts also handed him the green jersey awarded for points, which was being worn by Robbie McEwen. McEwen, who had held an overnight lead of just one point over Petacchi, was ruled out of the sprint after he came crashing down alongside German rival Erik Zabel on one of the final bends.
The 31-year-old Queenslander was unhurt physically — but he admitted that a lack of stage wins, on the day before the race heads into the mountains, is starting to grate. “It’s disappointing and it’s not good for the moral,” McEwen said.
Petacchi (144) now leads the points competition ahead of Cooke (118), the winner of Monday’s stage who, on his second participation, is keeping pace with the more experienced sprint kings of the peloton.
“I’ve been first second and third and I think I’m only getting better,” Cooke said. “All the sprinters usually arrive on the Tour flying and they tend to drop off after the mountains stages. But I did more work in the mountains before the Tour than I did speed work so I’m feeling pretty confident I can get through the mountains then challenge for the green jersey.”
Armstrong meanwhile is likely to wait until tomorrow’s first real climbing challenge before he bids to take the yellow jersey. The 31-year-old American, who arrived safely with the bunch, said: “I had a pretty good day. It was a pity that the two guys at the front got caught so close to the finish after their great breakaway. The advantage for us is that we have the yellow jersey although we haven’t had to work too hard for it. It’s the perfect situation to be in.”
