Like a bolt out of the blue, Ullrich pounces in Pyrenees to take stage, yellow jersey

Jan Ullrich

The 23-year-old Ullrich decisively won the hot, seven-hour stage in the steep Pyrenees mountains of France and the small republic of Andorra, beating Italy’s Marco Pantani (Mercatone Uno) and France’s Richard Virenque (Festina), who crossed the line together at 1’08” back.

Last year's Tour winner Riis finished fifth at 3’23” back and stands in fourth overall at 4’53”. Riis couldn’t stay with teammate Ullrich when the young German attacked on the final climb of the 10th stage to move into overall lead nearly halfway through the three-week Tour.

"I’m so happy I’m wearing the yellow jersey. It’s a dream come true," said Ullrich, who finished second in his debut Tour last year. "I can’t think winning in Paris yet. I still have the Alps and those stages will be most important."

Jan Ullrich set winning pace in Stage 10 (490k avi)

Spain’s Abraham Olano (Banesto) remained third overall at 4’46”, but couldn’t stay with Ullrich on the beyond-category steeps of the Arcalis climb, and finished ninth in the stage at 3’45”.

"I didn’t have any legs today. I always had to fight back to catch the front group," said Olano, 27, who replaced five-time Tour winner Miguel Indurain as the Banesto team captain. "Ullrich practically won the Tour today. He’s so strong it will be tough to make up time on him in the time trials. I hope to finish well enough for third place."

France’s Virenque, in second-place overall at 2’58”, isn’t so quick to concede the race. Last year’s third-place finisher pointed out there are two time trials (July 18 and 26) and four tough climbing stages remaining before the race ends July 27 in Paris.

"Ullrich was great today, but the race isn’t even at the halfway point yet," said Virenque, 27, who moved into the climber’s jersey which he’s won three straight years. "The Alps will be really tough. That will be the real test of his leadership."

Coming into Tuesday’s stage, it was obvious that Ullrich was stronger than team captain Riis, who lost 41 seconds in Monday’s climbing stage. When Ullrich attacked on the fan-mobbed roads of Andorra, Riis was already in trouble. Only Virenque and Pantani could answer, and Riis had to dig deep to finish as well as he did.

"I didn’t tell him to attack, but when you’re going as great as he is right now, you have to take advantage of that," Riis said. "Jan rode superbly today and it was an extraordinary win. I’m happy for him."

Riis sounded reluctant to give up leadership of the dominant Telekom team. But with Ullrich firmly in the yellow, the 33-year-old Dane who stopped Spain’s Miguel Indurain from winning a record sixth Tour last year will now work to protect Ullrich’s lead rather than trying to win his second Tour.

"Jan or me, it doesn’t matter who wears the jersey as long as one of us wins the Tour," Riis said. "Whoever has the jersey, we have to work together so we can win the Tour. We can’t do it alone."

American Kevin Livingston (Cofidis) rode with the leaders throughout the day and finished 15th in the stage at 4’15” back. Livingston is now the top American in the Tour, sitting in 34th at 27’05” back. Fellow American Bobby Julich (Cofidis) also had a good race, finishing 23rd at 7’05”.

"Today was a lot better for me than yesterday," Julich said. "I hope to recover and do well in the Alps."

American Lance Armstrong was back on the Tour Tuesday, riding in his Cofidis team car and talking with reporters before the race’s start. A two-stage Tour winner and former world champion, Armstrong is battling testicular cancer and is out of racing this year as he recovers from chemotherapy.

The 26-year-old Texan looked great and said he’s been training on the bike. He said he hopes to return to racing next year.

"It’s great to be back here. Kevin (Livingston) and Bobby (Julich) are my friends, so it’s great to be here with these guys," Armstrong said.

Armstrong also was present at a memorial service for former teammate Fabio Casartelli, who died in a crash on the Portet d’Aspet in 1995 when the Italian fell headlong into a concrete barrier.

The peloton stopped at Fabio Casartelli's memorial (922k avi)

At nearly eight hours, Tuesday’s stage was the longest of this year’s Tour, with the racers working banking hours (the race started at 9:30 a.m. and ended nearly at 5 p.m.). The long hours on the bike took their toll on riders at the back of the peloton. Long after Ullrich received his flowers and kisses on the podium, a group of 86 riders crossed the line 43 minutes after the first racers.

Still, only one rider abandoned (MG’s Michele Bartoli), and 178 out of 198 riders remain in the peloton.

The pace was slow over the early part of the course. Mexico’s Miguel Arroyo (Big Mat) and Casino’s Arturas Kasputis built up a three-minute lead on the Port d’Envalira, the highest point of this year’s Tour at 2,407 meters.

ONCE’s Laurent Jalabert and Olano were among the top riders who couldn’t hold the pace as Ullrich and Virenque motored the peloton over Envalira and then the category-two Col d’Ordino.

Jalabert, Olano, and race leader Cedric Vasseur (Gan) caught the lead group on the descent coming into the final climb up the Arcalis. Vasseur, who wore the yellow jersey for four days, forfeited the lead despite two strong days of climbing. Jean-Phillipe Dojwa (MSM) broke on the d’Ordino, but was reeled in on the final climb.

Wednesday’s 163-kilometer 11th stage starts with a climb back over the Pont d’Envalira, followed by two shorter climbs as the Tour returns to France to finish in Perpignan near the Mediterranean Coast.

Andrew Hood is Outside Online's European cycling correspondent.

Stage 10 results