Zabel takes back win; U.S. Postal almost gets it
By Andrew Hood
Outside Online correspondent

Erik Zabel takes the win (455k avi)

Zabel charged ahead of the peloton in the final 300 yards of the fast-paced 194-kilometer (116-mile) stage from Marennes to Bordeaux, easily finishing ahead of Casino's Jaan Kirsipuu and Jeroen Blijlevens (TVM), who crossed the line third.

Zabel said he was looking to avenge his disqualification in the sixth stage, when officials said the 27-year-old sprinter cut off several riders at the end of Friday's sprint.

"I didn't have a problem with the jury. I accepted their judgment," said Zabel, who controls the green points jersey he won last year.

Race officials disqualified Zabel and kicked Mapei's Tom Steels out of the race after a dangerous final sprint into Marennes, but Zabel said riders he talked with didn't have problems with yesterday's sprint.

"It was the judgment from the jury, not the riders, and they're what matter most," Zabel said. "I didn't have contact with riders later in the sprint, but I did with (Mario) Cipollini, but we talked about it this morning."

The rolling course finishing in Bordeaux, capital of France's southwestern wine country, was another strong stage for the U.S. Postal team, sitting third in the team classification in its first Tour.

Team members Marty Jemison and Tyler Hamilton finished 16th and 17th, respectively, with Adriano Baffi working in a three-man break that held the lead until the peloton reeled it in just 10 miles from the finish.

"We are just really motivated, riding at the front of the pack. Adriano was out there all day and we were riding for him. When it was obvious he was going to fall back, we were looking for a chance to counter-attack," said Jemison, riding in his first career Tour.

"We continued to stay at the front. Going into the sprint it looked like we would have a top-10 finish, but it was full-body contact in there," Jemison said, describing the rough-and-tumble final sprint. "I got hit from both sides at the same time. It's just unbelievable."

Jemison said the team is satisfied with its opening week, but added that the toughest stages await in the Pyrenees and later the Alps.

"We're looking really good, but it's a three-week race. We haven't ridden any mountains yet," Jemison said. "We're having fun too and that's important because our morale is good."

The team's goals are to place a rider in the top 15 overall and win at least one stage. That stage win almost came today, with Baffi attacking with Casino's Marco Saligari and FDJ's Flavio Vanzella early in the stage. The trio built up a five-minute lead midway through the long, flat course before the peloton, hungry for another sprint, reeled them in at the 179km mark.

"Adriano is looking for a stage win. It's probably his last Tour and his dad won a stage here. Going up against Zabel, Cipollini, and Blijlevens, he won't win a sprint because his form's not there," Jemison said. "If he can get away and throw it all in there, you never know what can happen."

Baffi, who won a stage in the Paris-Nice race earlier this year, wins the day's "most combative racer" award for his efforts.

Gan's Cedric Vasseur retained the yellow jersey of the overall leader in yet another stage marred by a late-race crash. Several riders went down in the middle of the pack 10 km from the finish, splitting the peloton as the sprinters roared to the finish.

Last year's third-place overall Richard Virenque (Festina), Rabobank's Peter Luttenberger, and Polti's Luc Leblanc finished with the second group 50 seconds back.

"There was another crash — as usual," said Virenque, with a touch of sarcasm.

"Somebody fell in front of me, so there was nothing I could do. We all tried to get back to the front as hard as we could, but it was hopeless with the others going too fast. There's nothing more to say."

Several crashes in the opening stages of the three-week Tour have taken their toll, with many of the pre-race favorites abandoning the race. Batik's Euvgeny Berzin, who wore the yellow jersey for two days last year, and 1997 Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Gotti (Saeco) didn't start in Marennes after going down hard in spills late in Friday's stage. Saeco's top sprinter Mario Cipollini, a two-stage winner this year who also went down in a spill in Friday's stage, abandoned early in Saturday's stage. World road champion Johan Museeuw (Mapei), with an injured knee, is a question mark for tomorrow's start. ONCE's Alex Zulle and Cofidis's Tony Rominger also abandoned the race earlier this week.

Sunday's 161 km (97-mile) eighth stage from Sauternes to Pau will be the last one for the sprinters as the Tour heads into three straight climbing stages through the Pyrenees that are sure to shake up the overall standings.

Stage 7 results

Andrew Hood is Outside Online's European cycling correspondent.