By Francois Thomazeau
AMIENS, France, July 8 - Italian sprint ace Mario Cipollini
outclassed his rivals to score his second consecutive stage win in the
Tour de France on Thursday.
Winner of his first sprint finish in Blois on Wednesday, the
32-year-old Saeco team leader made it two at the end of Thursday's
233.5-km fifth stage to Amiens, beating his two main rivals this year,
Belgian Tom Steels and Estonian Jaan Kirsipuu.
Between them, the three have won the five stages held since the
prologue. Kirsipuu, winner of the first stage on Sunday, retained the
overall leader's yellow jersey with a 17-second lead over Steels.
Steels, winner of the second and third stages, is currently leading
the points standings.
But the hero of the day was again Cipollini, very impressive in the
10th stage victory of his Tour de France career.
Cipollini, who also helped Saeco win a team time-trial, made his
move with 250 metres left in the longest stage so far and was so
strong that he raised his arms 30 metres before the line.
"This is another special win," said the elegant Italian,
who has now won 143 victories in the course of his career.
"I'm really happy because my team again did an outstanding
job."
German Erik Zabel, the winner of the points standings for the past
two years, was the first in action with 300 metres to go but that
merely prompted Cipollini to counter-attack.
"When I saw that Zabel was on his way, I responded and I won
easily," said "Super Mario", who crossed the finish
line in five hours, 36 minutes and 28 seconds.
"It was a long stage and I was able to show how fit I
am," he added.
After Thursday's victory in Blois, Cipollini had revealed that his
Saeco team had decided to part with him at the end of the season.
"Oddly enough there's been an opening since yesterday and now
I'm neither with Saeco nor out of it," he said.
Twelve months after the doping scandal which rocked last year's
Tour, organisers were made to sweat again when sports daily l'Equipe
reported that a rider had failed a dope test for corticoids after last
week's prologue.
But the International Cycling Union (UCI) denied the report, and
the head of its anti-doping committee, Leon Schattenberg, told
journalists a rider had produced a medical certificate.
Athletes are allowed to use corticoids as part of medical
treatment.
Almost impossible to detect in urine samples in the past,
corticoids are now detectable thanks to a new procedure tried on this
Tour by a French laboratory.
Friday's 171.5-km sixth stage to Maubeuge should provide sprinters
with yet another chance to shine.
