T-Mobile team rider Serhiy Honchar of Ukraine wears the leader's yellow jersey on the podium after winning the seventh stage individual time trial of the 93rd Tour de France cycling between Saint-Gregoire and Rennes yesterday. - Reuters
RENNES (Reuters):
ROBBED OF team leader Jan Ullrich on the eve of the Tour de France, T-Mobile showed their strength yesterday when Ukraine's Serhiy Honchar powered to a crushing victory in the race's first big test, a 52-km time trial.
Honchar, the time trial world champion in 2000, grabbed the overall leader's yellow jersey from world champion Tom Boonen after finishing one minute, one second ahead of American Floyd Landis. Germany's Sebastian Lang was third.
Six T-Mobile riders ended the seventh stage in the top 20 on a bad day for the U.S. and a catastrophic one for George Hincapie's Discovery Channel team.
Hincapie, who was Lance Armstrong's lieutenant when the Texan won his seven Tours from 1999 to 2005 before retiring, was a distant 24th, 2:42 behind Honchar, and the highest placed Discovery Channel rider was Paolo Salvodelli of Italy in 19th.
"It's lucky Jan Ullrich is not here otherwise the Tour would be over," said Discovery Channel team manager Johan Bruyneel.
KICKED OUT
Germany's T-Mobile were reduced to seven men when 1997 Tour winner Ullrich and Spaniard Oscar Sevilla were kicked out because of their implication in a doping investigation in Spain.
"That's a great result. Above all, the yellow jersey will bolster the team's morale," said T-Mobile's sport director Mario Kummer.
Honchar clocked one hour, one minute, 43 seconds and enjoys a one-minute lead over Landis in the overall standings.
"It's the best day of my life after the world championships," said Honchar. "It's quite unexpected for me."
T-Mobile are likely to ride for Germany's Andreas Kloeden, eighth yesterday and sixth overall, in the mountains. He finished second to Armstrong in 2004.
Landis survived an early puncture to emerge as one of the winners of the day. But smiling American faces were a rarity.
Gerolsteiner rider Levi Leipheimer, who was among the Tour favourites after winning the Dauphine Libere last month, had his hopes dashed when he finished 6:05 behind the winner.
Compatriot David Zabriskie, who was the seventh stage's hot favourite, ended a disppointing 13th, 1:57 behind.
American Bobby Julich, third overall in 1998, pulled out of the race after suffering a right wrist injury following a crash.
Today's eighth stage will take the peloton over 181 kms from St .Meen-le-Grand to Lorient.
