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| July 14, 2002 | Sunday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 3, 1423 |
McGee clinches eventful Tour stage
AVRANCHES (France), July 13: Australian Bradley McGee surged in the last 300 metres to win the 176-kilometre seventh stage of the Tour de France on Saturday, a stage again marred by several crashes.
McGee attacked behind Spaniard Pedro Horillo and overtook him on the finish line to score his first Tour victory ahead of Estonian Jaan Kirsipuu.
Horillo was third in the same time.
Igor Gonzalez Galdeano of Spain retained his overall leader’s yellow jersey.
Strong winds caused problems for the peloton, causing a string of accidents near the end — the last of which involved Lance Armstrong.
Three kilometres from the finish the three-times champion found himself on the floor. Luckily for the American he was unhurt, but the incident meant he finished 26 seconds behind McGee.
The most serious crash took place six kilometres from the finish line and involved world champion Oscar Freire of Spain, Credit Agricole leader Christophe Moreau and Bonjour leader Didier Rous.
Rous apparently broke his collarbone and was forced to quit the Tour.
Moreau, fourth in 2000 and who fell twice in the first stage in Luxembourg, struggled to make it to Avranches, while Freire, winner of the second stage this year, lost six minutes over the leading group.
Dutchman Leon van Bon, Anthony Morin and fellow-Frenchman Franck Renier broke away after only 22 kilometres and remained in front for 140km before being caught by the peloton on the climb into Avranches.
The trio held a maximum lead of five minutes and 20 seconds at one stage, with Renier the virtual leader of the race at that stage.
The failure must have been especially painful for Renier, who broke away unsuccessfully for 160km with compatriot Jacky Durand in Tuesday’s third stage between Metz and Reims.
Sunday’s eighth stage takes the riders from St Martin-de-Landelles to Plouay over 217.5km in Brittany — the longest stage so far.
“Yeah, of course I’m pretty confident, but I’ve got patience more than anything to thank for this win,” said McGee, who threw his arms into the air in joy as he rode over the finish line.
His team manager Marc Madiot was visibly emotional.
“That’s five years we’ve been waiting for a stage win on the Tour.
“We’ve come second and third a few times but this is it. I knew we’d get a win on this Tour. It was just a question of going out and doing the job.”—Reuters
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