Give Lance Armstrong credit for his predictive powers.
Before he and Tour de France rivals embarked on a bumpy, nail-biting stage Tuesday, Armstrong warned that two cobblestone patches on the course would likely mean spills and delays.
That's just what happened.
PHOTO: AFP
Spain's Iban Mayo, a top threat to the Texan's bid for a record sixth Tour win, was one of seven riders who crashed and lost precious minutes on the ride from Waterloo, Belgium, to Wasquehal.
On the eve of the 210km third stage, Armstrong had said the cobblestones -- last seen on a Tour course in 1985 -- could be disastrous.
"Some people's Tour will be finished," he had said. "I could be one of those people, and I'm not dumb enough to think that I couldn't be. And that would be a shame."
PHOTO: REUTERS
Jean-Patrick Nazon of France won the stage after a final mad dash, but Robbie McEwen of Australia scored key bonus points for his sprinting prowess that handed him the overall leader's yellow jersey.
Mayo's hopes of reaching the winner's podium on July 25 dwindled to next to nil as he dropped 3 minutes, 48 seconds to the 32-year-old Armstrong.
"Iban had the bad luck to fall and lose time," said Julian Gorospe, sporting director for his Euskadi Euskaltel team, trying to put a brave face on the outcome. "But we won't dwell on that."
PHOTO: EPA
Mayo can still make up time in later mountain stages that are his specialty. But four minutes is a big gap, and he risks losing yet more time to Armstrong in the team time trial on Wednesday.
Other Armstrong rivals still lurk, including 1997 Tour champion Jan Ullrich, American Tyler Hamilton, Italy's Ivan Basso and Spain's Roberto Heras.
Mayo's setback came as dozens of riders nervously jockeyed for front position before the first bone-jarring cobblestones, hoping to avoid crashes and force others to eat their dust.
Many riders reckon that crossing such dangerous patches at the head of the pack is the wisest strategy -- and Armstrong's US Postal Service teammates made sure he was at the front of the line.
"It's just a matter of fighting. You have no friends except your teammates," said US Postal veteran George Hincapie, his face caked with grime. "We wanted to get to the cobblestone section first, just like the rest of the 200 guys ... We did it."
The multi-rider pileup also brought down Credit Agricole's Thor Hushovd, who only a day earlier had become the first Norwegian ever to don the yellow jersey. The melee ended the Tour for Italian Marco Velo, who tumbled into a roadside ditch and broke a collarbone.
Overall, Armstrong maintained a 15-second lead over Ullrich, 16 seconds over Hamilton, 27 seconds over Basso and 35 seconds in front of Heras, a former US Postal teammate who now leads his own squad.
Wednesday's team time trial takes riders on a 64.5km jaunt from Cambrai to Arras. Teams advance in unison, rotating leadership. CSC, Phonak, T-Mobile and US Postal are the favorites.
Armstrong's sporting director says his team is ready.
"It's like a machine that always needs to run at the same speed," Johan Bruyneel said. "The machine is working well, it's well-oiled and he's very confident in the team."
She's dating the world's most famous cyclist and is happier than ever, but rocker Sheryl Crow admits she still has a bit to learn about his sport.
The singer is attending her first Tour de France since striking up a relationship with Lance Armstrong last year, and plans to be by his side through much of the race.
"This year has been a crash course for me -- learning what cycling's all about," Crow told AP.
"It's an amazing sport. I have a lot of admiration for these riders."
When he gave her a new bike last year, "I didn't even know you clipped into bike pedals. So this is how much I knew about cycling," she said.
Crow said she expects the 32-year-old Texan to succeed in his bid for an unprecedented sixth Tour victory -- and he doesn't seem to need any inspiration from her.
But the Tour might offer her some during her year off from working.
"For me, it has been not only a great adventure, but necessary, I think, to my art," Crow said, adding with a chuckle: "I guess I'm going to write a whole record about bike riding."
On Saturday, Armstrong said he appreciates Crow's efforts as a cyclist's girlfriend who will "do laundry and cook food, and do all of the things that wives or girlfriends do."
Crow's feeling?
"Lance said it's hard for me to be a cycling girlfriend? I'm sure it is," she said, acknowledging she never would have imagined becoming one.
"No, but life is funny. I've had so many incredible things happen to me and I would say that meeting Lance has definitely been the most incredible."
"It's changed my life and I'm happier than I have ever been."
LANCE'S BIGGEST FAN
Songwriters are apparently drawn to Armstrong.
"I'm his biggest fan, really," singer Ben Harper said in Waterloo, Belgium, where Tuesday's stage started. But then Harper remembered Crow: "OK, I'm his second-biggest fan."
Harper, fresh off a European tour of his own, met Armstrong about three years ago after receiving a jersey the champion once wore in the Tour.
"It's framed in my living room -- it's like the centerpiece to my house," Harper said. "If I could be as good in music as he is on the bike, I'd be getting somewhere."
Harper was on hand with his partner actress Laura Dern and his 7-year-old son Charles.
Any advice for a fellow celebrity couple?
"Everybody has got to find their own way, and find their own comfort level with that," Harper said.
CYCLING AND POLITICS
Belgium's prime minister says politicians could learn a thing or two from cyclists.
"In politics, one can learn some things from cycling, such as how to have character and courage," Guy Verhofstadt said. "Sometimes in politics there isn't enough of those things."
Verhofstadt, an amateur rider and 15-year Tour attendee, met with Armstrong and offered words of encouragement on his team bus in Namur, Belgium, on Monday.
"He's in good condition, and it's looking promising for him to win a sixth time," Verhofstadt told reporters. "But we know there have been a lot of riders who have tried to win six."
For Belgians, who were treated to four days of Tour racing in their country this year, cycling is even more the national pastime that soccer, Verhofstadt said. He estimated that 250,000 fans turned out for the Tour on Sunday in the city of Liege.
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