Lyon, July 13: Richard Virenque has taken the leader's yellow jersey and the King of the Mountains polka dot jersey by winning the first mountain stage in the Tour de France. Italian sprint specialist Alessandro Petacchi, who won four stages, dropped out of the race on the first climb between Lyon and Morzine-Avoriaz on Saturday (July 12). Virenque, who finished four minutes and six seconds ahead of the main group containing race favourite Lance Armstrong, was kicked out of the Tour in disgrace in 1998 and in the infamous Festina trial a year later confessed to drug-taking. Since then he has won Tour stages in Morzine in 2000 and up the Mount Ventoux last year, but Saturday's hard fought victory in the 230.5 km longest stage of the Tour is probably the most important in his career. At 33, Virenque is wearing the yellow jersey for only the second time, 11 years after his first Tour in 1992, when he led for one day. Armstrong, bidding for a fifth successive Tour win, kept his U.S. Postal team working hard at the front of the peloton. But he appeared content to save some energy for Sunday's crucial stage to l'Alpe d'Huez, which is seen by many people as the Tour decider.


Quick Step team leader Virenque has now won a total of six tour stages and has previously been King of the Mountains five-times, so can bid for a record sixth polka-dot jersey.


As usual in mountain stages, Armstrong launched his U.S. Postal "blue train" in the decisive La Ramaz climb late in the stage, when Virenque also made his final move. But the American's aim, by asking his team mates to set the tempo, was not to catch the Frenchman, whom he does not see as a serious threat for final victory, but to test his other rivals.


Most stayed with him until the finish. La Ramaz was the first serious hill of the Tour. Virenque made his move on the climb, dropping his breakaway companions and then descending smoothly to victory as Armstrong's U.S. Postal team made a belated attempt to close the gap.


Aldag finished second, 2:29 behind, which was enough to move him up to third place overall. Armstrong finished 15th and remains second overall, starting Sunday's stage 2 minutes 37 seconds behind Virenque.


Leading placings in the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycle race over 230.5 km from Lyon to Morzine on Saturday: 1. Richard Virenque (France) Quick Step 6 hours 6 minutes 3 seconds 2. Rolf Aldag (Germany) 2 minutes 29 seconds behind 3. Sylvain Chavanel (France) Brioches 3:45 4. Michael Rogers (Australia) Quick Step 4:03 5. Stefano Garzelli (Italy) Vini Caldirola 4:06 6. Christophe Moreau (France) Credit Agricole 7. Laurent Dufaux (Switzerland) Alessio 8. David Millar (Britain) Cofidis 9. Georg Totschnig (Austria) Gerolsteiner 10. Alexander Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) Team Telekom 11. Mikel Astarloza (Spain) AG2R 12. Guido Trentin (Italy) Cofidis 13. Grischa Niermann (Germany) Rabobank 14. Denis Menchov (Russia) iBanesto 15. Lance Armstrong (U.S.) U.S. Postal Service 16. Kurt Van de Wouwer (Belgium) Quick Step 17. David Canada (Spain) Quick Step 18. Carlos Sastre (Spain) Team CSC 19. Manuel Beltran (Spain) U.S. Postal Service 20. Javier Pascual Llorente (Spain) Kelme 21. Jan Ullrich (Germany) Team Bianchi 22. Marcos Serrano (Spain) ONCE 23. Peter Luttenberger (Austria) Team CSC 24. Francisco Mancebo (Spain) iBanesto.com 25. Tyler Hamilton (U.S.) Team CSC 26. Iban Mayo (Spain) Euskaltel 27. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spain) U.S. Postal Service 28. Haimar Zubeldia (Spain) Euskaltel 29. Roberto Heras (Spain) U.S. Postal Service 30. Samuel Sanchez all same time


Leading overall (yellow jersey) standings: 1. Richard Virenque (France) Quick Step 29 hours 10 minutes 39 seconds 2. Lance Armstrong (U.S.) U.S. Postal Service 2.37 behind 3. Rolf Aldag (Germany) 2:48 4. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spain) U.S. Postal Service 2:59 5. Roberto Heras (Spain) U.S. Postal Service 3:03 6. Joseba Beloki (Spain) ONCE 3:09 7. Jorg Jaksche (Germany) ONCE 3:14 8. Manuel Beltran (Spain) U.S. Postal Service 3:15 9. Jan Ullrich (Germany) Team Bianchi same time 10. Jose Azevedo (Portugal) ONCE 3:37 11. Marcos Serrano (Spain) ONCE 3:40 12. Felix Garcia Casas (Spain) Team Bianchi 3:51 13. Denis Menchov (Russia) iBanesto 3:55 14. Evgeni Petrov (Russia) iBanesto.com 3:57 15. Michael Rogers (Australia) Quick Step 4:03 16. Francisco Mancebo (Spain) iBanesto.com 4:06 17. David Canada (Spain) Quick Step 4:13 18. Mikel Astarloza (Spain) AG2R 4:20 19. Kurt Van de Wouwer (Belgium) Quick Step 4:21 20. Tyler Hamilton (U.S.) Team CSC same time


King of the Mountains (polka-dot jersey) standings: 1. Richard Virenque (France) Quick Step 78 points 2. Rolf Aldag (Germany) Team Telekom 61 3. Benoit Poilvet (France) Credit Agricole 51 4. Paolo Bettini (Italy) Quick Step 47 5. Juan Miguel Mercado (Spain) iBanesto.com 23 6. Walter Beneteau (France) Brioches 21 7. Christophe Mengin (France) FDJeux.com 20 8. Mederic Clain (France) Cofidis 19 9. Frederic Finot (France) Jean Delatour 18 10. Anthony Geslin (France) Brioches 15


Leading points (green jersey) standings: 1. Baden Cooke (Australia) FDJeux.com 118 2. Robbie McEwen (Australia) Lotto 110 3. Thor Hushovd (Norway) Credit Agricole 100 4. Erik Zabel (Germany) Team Telekom 98 5. Stuart O'Grady (Australia) Credit Agricole 91 6. Jean-Patrick Nazon (France) Jean Delatour 88 7. Luca Paolini (Italy) Quick Step 87 8. Oscar Freire (Spain) Rabobank 83 9. Roman Vainstains (Latvia) Caldirola 81 10. Paolo Bettini (Italy) Quick Step 55


Leading team standings: 1. Quick Step 85:00:33 2. US Postal Service two minutes and 24 seconds behind 3. ONCE 3:13 4. Team Bianchi 3:15 5. iBanesto.com 3:59


Leading (under 25) young rider (white jersey) standings: 1. Denis Menchov (Russia) iBanesto 29:14:34 2. Evgeni Petrov (Russia) iBanesto two seconds behind 3. Michael Rogers (Australia) Quick Step 8 4. Mikel Astarloza (Spain) AG2R 25 5. Sylvain Chavanel (France) Brioches 1:08


Bureau Report