New overall leader Stefan Schumacher of Germany throws flowers to well wishers on the podium after winning the fourth stage the Tour de France, an individual time trial over 29.5 kilometres (18.3 miles), yesterday. - AP

CHOLET, France:

GERMAN RIDER Stefan Schumacher had the biggest day of his career yesterday, taking the first individual time trial of the Tour de France and the overall leader's yellow jersey.

Schumacher completed the 29.5 kilometres (18.3 miles) in 35 minutes, 44 seconds, ahead of Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg and David Millar of Britain, who were both 18 seconds back.

The time trial began and ended in Cholet.

Yellow jersey

Schumacher took the yellow jersey from France's Romain Feillu, who won it on Monday following a day-long breakaway.

Time-trial world champion Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, who was the favourite for the stage, struggled from the beginning and finished fifth.

"My head is down, but you have to keep your head up when you see things you can do better for the next time trial," Cancellara said. "It wasn't my day today, I think. I couldn't find the rhythm and the sensations I normally have."

In the overall classification, Schumacher is 12 seconds ahead of both Millar and Kirchen.

Schumacher will likely hold the yellow jersey at least for another day as today's stage favours the sprinters and the pack is expected to stay together. The 232-kilometre (144.2-mile) stage from Cholet to Chateauroux is the longest and flattest stage of the race.

"I didn't come to win the Tour. My goal was to wear the jersey one day and to win a stage. I reached this goal, so everything else is a bonus," Schumacher said.

Millar was happy with his third place.

"I felt good, everything went perfect," Millar said. "I was at 100 per cent."

But the big winner yesterday appeared to be Cadel Evans, who saw all his main rivals for the overall title lose time to him.

The Australian finished fourth, while Alejandro Valverde of Spain was 23rd, more than a minute back, with his compatriot Carlos Sastre a further five places and nine seconds behind.

Feillu, who finished nearly five minutes behind Schumacher, acknowledged that he had not been strong enough to hold on to the yellow jersey.

"I gave a lot yesterday and I was very nervous today. I didn't have the strength," he said.

Controversial rider

Schumacher is a controversial rider in this year's Tour. In January, German police announced that they had detected amphetamines in his blood when he was stopped for drunken driving on October 7, six days after he won a bronze medal at the road race world championships.

He was not sanctioned by cycling authorities because the use of amphetamines outside of competition times is not considered to be a doping offence. Schumacher denied that he had ever taken drugs.

"For sure it wasn't easy," Schumacher said yesterday. "I was really not proud that I went into the car drunk. I am a public personality and I also have to be an example for other guys. It wasn't good for me, but I didn't take drugs."

Schumacher said he did not consider his case to be the same as that of Belgian Tom Boonen, who was banished from the Tour after testing positive for cocaine in an out-of-competition control in May.

"Mine was a police control, it was microscopic," Schumacher said. "I didn't consume (the drugs)."

Schumacher added, however, that he felt sorry for Boonen because he did not appear to have broken international anti-doping rules.