Heppner Wins 3rd Stage Of Tour

German cyclist Jens Heppner prevented World Cup winners France from celebrating another win on Bastille Day when he surged to victory in the final stretch of Tuesday's third stage of the Tour de France.

Heppner pipped Frenchman Xavier Jan to win the 167-kilometre stage, the first in France following three days in Ireland, in a time of three hours 33 minutes and 36 seconds.

The veteran German's win was some consolation for the Telekom team whose overnight race leader Erik Zabel lost his yellow jersey to Denmark's Bo Hamburger.

American George Hincapie came home two seconds later in third place, followed by Hamburger and the rest of the group who finished one minute and eight seconds clear of the main field including German Zabel.

Hamberger had won two intermediate sprints and was third in another, giving him a 14-second deduction from his race time. That, added to the time gained on Zabel, meant he became Tour leader with a two-second advantage over Hincapie.

Hamburger merited the yellow jersey as he had been the most active rider in the bunch all day.

The 28-year-old Dane won the first intermediate sprint of the day and launched the decisive move shortly after the second, leading a group of nine riders, including Heppner and Jan.

"I think I deserved to take it (the jersey) as I worked hard all day -- this is great," said Hamburger.

"Everything has changed for the better for me this season. I changed teams, I had a little daughter and now this," added the Dane, who moved from TVM to Casino last year.

Heppner's victory made up for his disqualification at the end of a stage during last year's Tour for pushing Dutchman Bert Voskamp in a sprint finish.

"I thought about it all along the last kilometre, telling myself not to be as stupid as I was last year," he said.

As it was the 34-year-old German, 10th in the Tour four years ago, did not have to fight too hard his way to victory, easily controlling Jan over the line to win.

The start of the stage was delayed for over half an hour leaving the several thousands of French flag-waving spectators lining the road on this national holiday wondering what was happening.

The delay occurred because a ferry carrying technicians and team cars from Cork arrived in Brittany two hours late.

Some of thspectators carried banners saying that the yellow jersey should be given to soccer hero Zinedine Zidane, who scored two of France's three goals in last Sunday's 3-0 win over Brazil in the World Cup final.

Most of the talk in the caravan concerned the news that a Festina masseur, charged last week with smuggling doping products into France, had told the police he had been acting on instructions.

Police said Willy Voet, the personal masseur of last year's runner-up Richard Virenque of France, had confessed it was not the first time he smuggled banned substances.

Police confirmed that other banned products, including steroids, were seized in a raid at the team's headquarters near Lyon last week.

Team boss Bruno Roussel said he was "stunned" by the revelations and had asked to speak to police as soon as possible "to set the record straight."

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