|
COMPIEGNE, France (AP) - 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 last 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.
|