Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2007-07-11 From: Xinhuanet

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhuanet) — Sunday Australian rider Robbie McEwen crashed but won the Tour de France’s first stage, Monday Belgium’s Gert Steegmans avoided a multi-rider crash to win the second stage in front of enthusiastic fans on his home turf.

“What an explosion of emotion it was after the finish,” he said. “It was really important for the team. You could feel this enormous pressure because we’re a Belgian team.”

Steegmans avoided a late crash that slowed many riders and left them with scrapes and bruises. He led a 1-2 Belgian finish with Tom Boonen in winning a Tour stage for the first time as fans thronged the team bus.

He covered the 105-mile course on rain-drenched roads from Dunkirk, France, to Ghent in 3 hours, 48 minutes, 22 seconds. Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara kept the leader’s yellow jersey.

Steegmans, Boonen and third-place finisher Filippo Pozzato of Italy were among about 20 cyclists who were ahead of a crash that delayed all other riders in the main pack with about 1.2 miles left.

American George Hincapie was cut and bruised, and Discovery Channel teammate Tomas Vaitkus of Lithuania dropped out of his debut Tour after breaking his right thumb in five places.

Cancellara, who injured his left wrist in the group spill, is the leader for a third straight day. Germany’s Andreas Kloeden is in second place, 13 seconds behind. Britain’s David Millar in third, 23 seconds back.

Because the crash occurred within 1.8 miles left, all riders were credited with the same time as Steegman.