Bordeaux, July 25: Former Paris-Roubaix winner Servais Knaven seized his chance to shine in Bordeaux to take the 181-km 17th stage of the Tour de France on Thursday (July 24). As the Tour made it back to flat lands after five days in the Pyrenees, Knaven became the 13th rider from the Netherlands to win in France's wine capital. Four-times champion Lance Armstrong and German rival Jan Ullrich, saving some strength for Saturday's decisive individual time trial to Nantes, finished in the main bunch, some eight minutes behind Knaven. The American, who spent most of the stage near the front of the main group behind his U.S. Postal "blue train", kept his 67-second lead over Ullrich. Dutch victories in Bordeaux are frequent but for once the winner was not a sprinter, as Knaven belonged to a group of 10 riders who broke clear after one kilometre in the flattest stage in the Tour so far.


Winner of the Paris-Roubaix World Cup classic two years ago, the Quick Step rider made his move 18 km from the line to part company with his nine companions and finish on his own. Italy's Paolo Bossoni was second and France's Christophe Mengin third, 17 seconds behind, with the other breakaways recording the same time.


"It's unbelievable, it's my seventh Tour and I often finished second, third or fourth and today I win a stage. I can't believe it," said Knaven. "My team director told me I should attack, but not too late, so I went 18 km from the finish and gave it my all," he said.


The 32-year-old rider has scored his best career wins in France, winning the Queen of classics in Roubaix in 2001. "I don't win a lot but when I do, it's always great races and that's what counts," he said.


To avoid any surprises, Armstrong sent his U.S. Postal blue train to the front of the main bunch in the last kilometres before letting the points classification contenders battle it out on the line.


Australian Robbie McEwen, the points winner last year, was 11th ahead of six-times green jersey holder Erik Zabel of Germany and points leader Baden Cooke, some eight minutes behind Knaven.


"It was not great today," said Australian Cooke. "I lost some points to Robbie but I believe that the man who wins the Paris stage on the Champs-Elysees will win the green jersey," he added.


The three will have another chance to test each other in Friday's 203.5-km 18th stage to St Maixent-L'Ecole, which should favour sprinters.


Knaven and his breakaway companions had attacked almost from the start in Dax and held a maximum lead of 22 minutes over the main bunch, who did not chase as the break comprised of no serious overall contenders.


Leading placings in Thursday's 17th stage of the Tour de France cycle race over 181kms from Dax to Bordeaux: 1. Servais Knaven (Netherlands) Quickstep three hours 54 minutes 23 seconds 2. Paolo Bossoni (Italy) Vini Caldirola 17 seconds behind 3. Christophe Mengin (France) FDJeux.com 4. Leon Van Bon (Netherlands) Lotto 5. Salvatore Commesso (Italy) Saeco 6. Vincente Garcia Acosta (Spain) Ibanesto.com 7. Peter Luttenberger (Austria) Team CSC 8. Mederic Clain (France) Cofidis 9. Bram De Groot (Netherlands) Rabobank all same time 10. Ivan Parra (Colombia) Kelme 1:55 11. Robbie McEwen (Australia) Lotto 8:06 12. Erik Zabel (Germany) Team Telekom 13. Baden Cooke (Australia) FDJeux.com 14. Thor Hushovd (Norway) Credit Agricole 15. Fabrizio Guidi (Italy) Team Bianchi 16. Gerrit Glomser (Austria) Saeco 17. Damien Nazon (France) Brioches 18. Jean-Patrick Nazon (France) Jean Delatour 19. Luca Paolini (Italy) Quick Step 20. Andy Flickinger (France) AG2R 21. Stuart O'Grady (Australia) Credit Agricole 22. Bradley McGee (Australia) FDJeux.com 23. Sandy Casar (France) FDJeux.com 24. Jose Enrique Gutierrez (Spain) Kelme 25. Rolf Aldag (Germany) Team Telekom 26. Thomas Liese (Germany) Team Bianchi 27. Jan Ullrich (Germany) Team Bianchi 28. Lance Armstrong (U.S.) U.S. Postal Service 29. Hans De Clercq (Belgium) Lotto 30. Ivan Basso (Italy) Fassa Bortolo all same time


Leading overall (yellow jersey) standings: 1. Armstrong 74:40:28 2. Ullrich one minute seven seconds behind 3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) Team Telekom 2:45 4. Haimar Zubeldia (Spain) Euskaltel 5:16 5. Iban Mayo (Spain) Euskaltel 5:25 6. Tyler Hamilton (U.S.) Team CSC 6:35 7. Basso 8:08 8. Christophe Moreau (France) Credit Agricole 11:12 9. Francisco Mancebo (Spain) Ibanesto.Com 16:05 10. Carlos Sastre (Spain) Team CSC 16:12 11. Denis Menchov (Russia) Ibanesto.Com 17:09 12. Georg Totschnig (Austria) Gerolsteiner 18:52 13. Luettenberger 19:03 14. Manuel Beltran (Spain) U.S. Postal Service 19:34 15. Richard Virenque (France) Quick Step 22:00 16. Roberto Laiseka (Spain) Euskaltel 24:34 17. Jorg Jaksche (Germany) O.N.C.E. 24:59 18. Didier Rous (France) Brioches 26:50 19. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spain) U.S. Postal Service 27:29 20. Laurent Dufaux (Switzerland) Alessio 28:57


Points standings (green jersey): 1. Cooke 169 points 2. McEwen 163 3. Zabel 157 4. Hushovd 146 5. O'Grady 133 6. Paolini 126 7. Jean-Patrick Nazon 119 8. Bram De Groot (Netherlands) Rabobank 99 9. Ullrich 98 10. Vinokourov 91

King of the Mountain (polka-dot jersey) standings: 1. Richard Virenque (France) Quick Step 324 2. Laurent Dufaux (Switzerland) Alessio 187 3. Armstrong 168 4. Juna Miguel Mercado (Spain) Ibanesto.Com 133 5. Moreau 132 6. Mayo 130 7. Zubeldia 125 8. Ullrich 124 9. Hamilton 116 10. Paolo Bettini (Italy) Quick Step 100


Team points: 1. Team CSC 221 hours 36 minutes and 33 seconds 2. Euskaltel 16 minutes 57 seconds behind 3. iBanesto.com 18:53 4. U.S. Postal Service 23:52 5. Team Bianchi 1:08:57


Youth (under-25) standings (white jersey): 1. Denis Menchov (Russia) Ibanesto.com 74:57:37 2. Mikel Astarloza (Spain) AG2R 42:33 seconds behind 3. Juan Miguel Mercado (Spain) iBanesto.com 1:00:38 4. Sylvain Chavanel (France) Brioches 1:07:07 5. Michael Rogers (Austria) Quick Step 1:19:06


Bureau Report