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| |  Monday, 16 July, 2001, 15:35 GMT 16:35 UK Ivanov steals ninth stage Thwarted again: Peloton surrenders another stage win Stage nine of the Tour de France from Pontarlier to Aix-les-Bains, 185km. Russia's Sergei Ivanov held off fellow breakaway riders, David Etxebarria and Bradley McGee, to win a lightening-quick stage nine of the Tour de France on Monday. He sprinted for home with 10km of the 185km-stage from Pontarlier to Aix-les-Bains remaining, to pile more misery on the sprinters in the main pack. On Sunday a 14-man breakaway stayed away, taking 35 minutes out of the Peloton.
The Australian took off 35km after the start, but had his aspirations dashed when Ivanov launched a surprise attack on the outskirts of holiday town, Aix-les-Bains. Erik Zabel, Damien Nazon and Stuart O'Grady led home a speeding peloton in the competition for Tour points. And O'Grady kept his yellow jersey - as overall leader of the time classification - going into the feared climb of Alpe d'Huez on Tuesday. But Tour favourites, Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich, who finished safely in the main pack, will be confident of slashing his lead on a steep and potentially pivotal stage ten. Ivanov, meanwhile, became the fourth Russian stage winner.
The 26-year-old emulated countryman, Dimitri Konyshev, who took the same stage in 1991 and was overjoyed by his comeback win. A three-time Russian champion, he was thrown out of last year's Tour on the morning of the opening prologue, after being found to have an excessively high red blood cell rate. "I feel good of course about the win," said Ivanov. "Last year we made some mistakes, but they weren't just my mistakes." More Millar woe Looking forward tentatively to Tuesday's climb, O'Grady said: "The mountains are not my cup of tea so I don't expect 100% to be at the front tomorrow. "I also expect to lose the yellow jersey tomorrow. "But my main aim now is to go for the green jersey, which would be a dream for me if I could wear it on the Champs Elysees in Paris." British hope, David Millar, lost still more time on the ninth stage and currently lies in 172nd-place overall. Tuesday: Aix-les-Bains to L'Alpe d'Huez, 209km Stage nine result: 1. Serguei Ivanov (Rus) 3hr 57 min 48sec | |
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