1. Richard Virenque (Fra) FES 4.34.16 (avs. 32,3 km/h) 2. Jan Ullrich (Ger) TEL s.t. 3. Fernando Escartin (Spa) KEL 0.47 4. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) FES 1.19 5. Bjarne Riis (Dan) TEL 1.24 6. Marco Pantani (Ita) MER 3.06 7. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) SAE 3.36 8. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spa) BAN 3.50 9. Abraham Olano (Spa) BAN 3.50 10. Roberto Conti (Ita) MER 4.41 11. Peter Luttenberger (Aut) RAB 7.13 12. Pascal Lino (Fra) BIG 8.01 13. Hernan Buenahora (Col) KEL 10.25 14. Beat Zberg (Swi) MER 10.58 15. Udo Bolts (Ger) TEL 10.58 16. Oskar Camenzind (Swi) MAP 11.10 17. Marco Fincato (Ita) ROS 12.14 18. Bobby Julich (USA) COF 12.14 19. Michael Boogerd (Ned) RAB 12.57 20. Christophe Moreau (Fra) FES 12.57 21. Manuel Beltran (Spa) BAN 13.21 22. Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) USP 13.51 23. Stephane Heulot (Fra) FDJ 13.51 24. Didier Rous (Fra) FES 15.57 25. Peter Farazijn (Bel) LOT 16.26 26. Angel Casero (Spa) BAN 18.56 27. Georg Totschnig (Aut) TEL 21.10 28. Patrick Jonker (Aus) RAB 23.00 29. Anthony Morin (Fra) BIG 23.00 30. Andrea Tafi (Ita) MAP 23.05 31. Massimo Podenzana (Ita) MER 23.05 32. Marcello Siboni (Ita) MER 23.05 33. Zenon Jaskula (Pol) MAP 23.05 34. Christophe Mengin (Fra) FDJ 23.05 35. Thierry Bourguignon (Fra) BIG 23.05 36. Kevin Livingston (USA) COF 23.05 37. Daniele Nardello (Ita) MAP 23.05 38. Laurent Brochard (Fra) FES 24.01 39. Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) FES 24.01 40. Pascal Herve (Fra) FES 24.01 41. Neil Stephens (Aus) FES 24.01 42. Joona Laukka (Fin) FES 24.01 43. Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) PLT 24.01 44. Erik Zabel (Ger) TEL 24.46 45. Andrea Peron (Ita) FDJ 24.46 46. Jens Heppner (Ger) TEL 24.46 47. Rolf Aldag (Ger) TEL 24.46 48. Viatcheslav Djavanian (Rus) ROS 24.46 49. Jon Odriozola (Spa) BAT 24.53 50. Erik Breukink (Ned) RAB 24.53 51. Santiago Blanco (Spa) BAN 24.53 52. Javier Pascual (Spa) KEL 24.53 53. Roberto Sierra (Spa) ONC 25.06 54. Inigo Chaurreau (Spa) PLT 25.20 55. Laurent Roux (Fra) TVM 26.08 56. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) BIG 27.10 57. Jose Luis Arrieta (Spa) BAN 29.11 58. Orlando Rodrigues (Por) BAN 29.11 59. Giorgio Furlan (Ita) SAE 29.11 60. Marino Alonso (Spa) BAN 29.11 61. Laurent Madouas (Fra) LOT 29.11 62. Tyler Hamilton (USA) USP 29.11 63. Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) MAP 36.56 64. Gian Matteo Fagnini (Ita) SAE 36.56 65. Rolf Sorensen (Dan) RAB 36.56 66. Erik Dekker (Ned) RAB 36.56 67. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) TEL 36.56 68. Miguel Arroyo (Mex) BIG 36.56 69. Frederic Moncassin (Fra) GAN 36.56 70. Gianluca Pierobon (Ita) BAT 36.56 71. Nicola Loda (Ita) MAG 36.56 72. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) CSO 36.56 73. Francisco Cabello (Spa) KEL 36.56 74. Dariusz Baranowski (Pol) USP 36.56 75. Jose Angel Vidal (Spa) KEL 36.56 76. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) CSO 36.56 77. Pascal Derame (Fra) USP 36.56 78. Paul Van Hyfte (Bel) LOT 36.56 79. Davide Rebellin (Ita) FDJ 36.56 80. Wilfried Peeters (Bel) MAP 36.56 81. Francisco Benitez (Spa) KEL 36.56 82. Flavio Vanzella (Ita) FDJ 36.56 83. Christian Henn (Ger) TEL 36.56 84. Servais Knaven (Ned) TVM 36.56 85. Giuseppe Tartaggia (Ita) BAT 36.56 86. Bruno Cenghialta (Ita) BAT 36.56 87. Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) COF 36.56 88. Javier Mauleon (Spa) ONC 36.56 89. Marty Jemison (USA) USP 36.56 90. George Hincapie (USA) USP 36.56 91. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONC 36.56 92. David Delrieu (Fra) MUT 36.56 93. Gerard Rue (Fra) GAN 36.56 94. Francois Simon (Fra) GAN 36.56 95. Jose de los Angeles (Spa) KEL 36.56 96. Ludovic Auger (Fra) BIG 36.56 97. Marco Artunghi (Ita) MER 36.56 98. Adriano Baffi (Ita) USP 36.56 99. Henk Vogels (Aus) GAN 36.56 100. Lauri Aus (Est) CSO 36.56 101. Marco Zen (Ita) ROS 36.56 102. Daniele Sgnaolin (Ita) ROS 36.56 103. Frederic Guesdon (Fra) FDJ 36.56 104. Alberto Elli (Ita) CSO 36.56 105. Rolf Jaermann (Swi) CSO 36.56 106. Oscar Pellicioli (Ita) MER 36.56 107. Cedric Vasseur (Fra) GAN 36.56 108. Gerrit De Vries (Ned) PLT 36.56 109. Laurent Genty (Fra) BIG 36.56 110. Marco Saligari (Ita) CSO 36.56 111. Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) CSO 36.56 112. Mauro Gianetti (Swi) FDJ 36.56 113. Arturas Kasputis (Lit) CSO 36.56 114. Dominique Rault (Fra) MUT 36.56 115. Massimiliano Lelli (Ita) SAE 36.56 116. Philipp Buschor (Swi) SAE 36.56 117. Mario Traversoni (Ita) MER 36.56 118. Peter Meinert (Dan) USP 36.56 119. Jesper Skibby (Dan) TVM 36.56 120. Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) TVM 36.56 121. Jean-Philippe Dojwa (Fra) MUT 36.56 122. Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) USP 36.56 123. Maximilian Sciandri (G-B) FDJ 36.56 124. Aitor Garmendia (Spa) ONC 36.56 125. Tristan Hoffman (Ned) TVM 36.56 126. Jaime Gonzalez (Col) KEL 36.56 127. Benont Salmon (Fra) LOT 36.56 128. Mikel Zarrabeitia (Spa) ONC 36.56 129. Johan Museeuw (Bel) MAP 36.56 130. Fabio Baldato (Ita) MAG 36.56 131. Carlo Finco (Ita) MAG 36.56 132. Bart Voskamp (Ned) TVM 36.56 133. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) MAG 36.56 134. Christophe Rinero (Fra) COF 36.56 135. Giusvan Piovaccari (Ita) MER 36.56 136. Eros Poli (Ita) GAN 36.56 137. Frankie Andreu (USA) COF 36.56 138. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) ONC 36.56 139. Marcelino Garcia (Spa) ONC 36.56 140. Nicola Minali (Ita) BAT 36.56 141. Luca Scinto (Ita) MAG 36.56 142. Rossano Brasi (Ita) PLT 36.56 143. Arnaud Pretot (Fra) GAN 36.56 144. Stephane Cueff (Fra) MUT 36.56 145. Alexandre Gontchenkov (Rus) ROS 36.56 146. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) GAN 36.56 147. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) MAG 36.56 148. Peter Van Petegem (Bel) TVM 36.56 149. Serguei Outschakov (Ukr) PLT 36.56 150. Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned) TVM 36.56 151. Gianluca Valoti (Ita) PLT 36.56 152. Torsten Schmidt (Ger) ROS 36.56 153. Philippe Gaumont (Fra) COF 36.56 154. Laurent Desbiens (Fra) COF 36.56 155. Robbie McEwen (Aus) RAB 36.56 156. Mirco Crepaldi (Ita) PLT 36.56
1. Jan Ullrich (Ger) TEL 71.00.26 2. Richard Virenque (Fra) FES 6.22 3. Bjarne Riis (Dan) TEL 11.06 4. Marco Pantani (Ita) MER 11.30 5. Abraham Olano (Spa) BAN 14.28 6. Fernando Escartin (Spa) KEL 15.23 7. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) SAE 16.32 8. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) FES 20.05 9. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spa) BAN 22.22 10. Roberto Conti (Ita) MER 25.29 11. Peter Luttenberger (Aut) RAB 27.00 12. Oskar Camenzind (Swi) MAP 28.09 13. Beat Zberg (Swi) MER 30.57 14. Marco Fincato (Ita) ROS 38.22 15. Pascal Lino (Fra) BIG 39.36 16. Manuel Beltran (Spa) BAN 40.30 17. Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) USP 41.37 18. Michael Boogerd (Ned) RAB 43.55 19. Daniele Nardello (Ita) MAP 45.25 20. Hernan Buenahora (Col) KEL 47.48 21. Joona Laukka (Fin) FES 50.26 22. Christophe Moreau (Fra) FES 50.56 23. Laurent Madouas (Fra) LOT 51.21 24. Stephane Heulot (Fra) FDJ 56.21 25. Bobby Julich (USA) COF 56.51 26. Alberto Elli (Ita) CSO 58.49 27. Udo Bolts (Ger) TEL 1.02.06 28. Cedric Vasseur (Fra) GAN 1.02.53 29. Marcello Siboni (Ita) MER 1.03.25 30. Laurent Roux (Fra) TVM 1.05.18 31. Santiago Blanco (Spa) BAN 1.05.40 32. Kevin Livingston (USA) COF 1.06.00 33. Francois Simon (Fra) GAN 1.06.03 34. Massimo Podenzana (Ita) MER 1.06.25 35. Laurent Brochard (Fra) FES 1.09.18 36. Didier Rous (Fra) FES 1.09.57 37. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONC 1.11.25 38. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) CSO 1.11.27 39. Thierry Bourguignon (Fra) BIG 1.13.52 40. Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) FES 1.15.51 41. Jean-Philippe Dojwa (Fra) MUT 1.16.06 42. Peter Farazijn (Bel) LOT 1.16.41 43. Javier Pascual (Spa) KEL 1.20.06 44. Peter Meinert (Dan) USP 1.20.24 45. Angel Casero (Spa) BAN 1.21.01 46. Pascal Herve (Fra) FES 1.22.29 47. Rolf Aldag (Ger) TEL 1.23.16 48. Erik Breukink (Ned) RAB 1.25.40 49. Orlando Rodrigues (Por) BAN 1.25.48 50. Georg Totschnig (Aut) TEL 1.26.59 51. Jon Odriozola (Spa) BAT 1.27.35 52. Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) USP 1.29.14 53. Jose de los Angeles (Spa) KEL 1.29.56 54. Neil Stephens (Aus) FES 1.34.42 55. Fabrice Gougot (Fra) CSO 1.37.13 56. Patrick Jonker (Aus) RAB 1.37.21 57. Andrea Tafi (Ita) MAP 1.38.08 58. Marino Alonso (Spa) BAN 1.40.17 59. Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) PLT 1.40.51 60. Zenon Jaskula (Pol) MAP 1.40.58 61. Massimiliano Lelli (Ita) SAE 1.42.01 62. Andrea Peron (Ita) FDJ 1.42.33 63. Christophe Mengin (Fra) FDJ 1.43.07 64. Tyler Hamilton (USA) USP 1.43.29 65. Erik Zabel (Ger) TEL 1.43.48 66. David Delrieu (Fra) MUT 1.46.01 67. Benont Salmon (Fra) LOT 1.47.24 68. Oscar Pellicioli (Ita) MER 1.47.32 69. Davide Rebellin (Ita) FDJ 1.49.02 70. Mikel Zarrabeitia (Spa) ONC 1.52.34 71. Daniele Sgnaolin (Ita) ROS 1.55.09 72. Miguel Arroyo (Mex) BIG 1.55.11 73. Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) TVM 1.55.58 74. Giorgio Furlan (Ita) SAE 1.56.13 75. Marco Zen (Ita) ROS 1.56.17 76. Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) MAP 1.56.54 77. Jens Heppner (Ger) TEL 1.58.32 78. Marty Jemison (USA) USP 1.59.03 79. Maximilian Sciandri (G-B) FDJ 1.59.03 80. Alexandre Gontchenkov (Rus) ROS 2.01.50 81. Giusvan Piovaccari (Ita) MER 2.02.21 82. Arturas Kasputis (Lit) CSO 2.02.30 83. Jose Luis Arrieta (Spa) BAN 2.03.02 84. Aitor Garmendia (Spa) ONC 2.03.12 85. Rolf Sorensen (Dan) RAB 2.03.22 86. Jose Angel Vidal (Spa) KEL 2.04.05 87. Francisco Benitez (Spa) KEL 2.05.40 88. Inigo Chaurreau (Spa) PLT 2.06.46 89. Dariusz Baranowski (Pol) USP 2.07.05 90. Erik Dekker (Ned) RAB 2.07.32 91. Roberto Sierra (Spa) ONC 2.07.50 92. Frankie Andreu (USA) COF 2.08.16 93. Anthony Morin (Fra) BIG 2.09.02 94. Bruno Cenghialta (Ita) BAT 2.10.43 95. Javier Mauleon (Spa) ONC 2.11.43 96. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) ONC 2.12.26 97. Jaime Gonzalez (Col) KEL 2.12.33 98. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) GAN 2.12.59 99. Giuseppe Tartaggia (Ita) BAT 2.13.17 100. Wilfried Peeters (Bel) MAP 2.14.38 101. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) BIG 2.15.40 102. Henk Vogels (Aus) GAN 2.16.32 103. Frederic Moncassin (Fra) GAN 2.17.08 104. Dominique Rault (Fra) MUT 2.17.42 105. Robbie McEwen (Aus) RAB 2.19.04 106. Nicola Loda (Ita) MAG 2.19.13 107. Gerard Rue (Fra) GAN 2.19.16 108. Jesper Skibby (Dan) TVM 2.19.43 109. Gian Matteo Fagnini (Ita) SAE 2.19.45 110. Viatcheslav Djavanian (Rus) ROS 2.20.00 111. Francisco Cabello (Spa) KEL 2.20.13 112. Arnaud Pretot (Fra) GAN 2.20.24 113. Marco Artunghi (Ita) MER 2.20.46 114. Paul Van Hyfte (Bel) LOT 2.21.05 115. Mauro Gianetti (Swi) FDJ 2.22.45 116. George Hincapie (USA) USP 2.23.28 117. Nicola Minali (Ita) BAT 2.23.34 118. Gerrit De Vries (Ned) PLT 2.23.40 119. Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned) TVM 2.23.51 120. Johan Museeuw (Bel) MAP 2.23.59 121. Rolf Jaermann (Swi) CSO 2.24.11 122. Marcelino Garcia (Spa) ONC 2.24.24 123. Frederic Guesdon (Fra) FDJ 2.24.29 124. Mario Traversoni (Ita) MER 2.24.50 125. Flavio Vanzella (Ita) FDJ 2.24.54 126. Servais Knaven (Ned) TVM 2.25.47 127. Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) TEL 2.26.05 128. Fabio Baldato (Ita) MAG 2.26.15 129. Adriano Baffi (Ita) USP 2.26.37 130. Mirco Crepaldi (Ita) PLT 2.26.37 131. Gianluca Valoti (Ita) PLT 2.27.40 132. Christophe Rinero (Fra) COF 2.27.48 133. Christian Henn (Ger) TEL 2.27.54 134. Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) CSO 2.28.07 135. Laurent Desbiens (Fra) COF 2.28.17 136. Peter Van Petegem (Bel) TVM 2.28.19 137. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) MAG 2.29.37 138. Laurent Genty (Fra) BIG 2.29.48 139. Carlo Finco (Ita) MAG 2.30.18 140. Tristan Hoffman (Ned) TVM 2.31.44 141. Lauri Aus (Est) CSO 2.32.12 142. Serguei Outschakov (Ukr) PLT 2.33.41 143. Luca Scinto (Ita) MAG 2.34.37 144. Bart Voskamp (Ned) TVM 2.35.01 145. Rossano Brasi (Ita) PLT 2.35.38 146. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) MAG 2.36.04 147. Pascal Derame (Fra) USP 2.36.13 148. Marco Saligari (Ita) CSO 2.41.35 149. Eros Poli (Ita) GAN 2.43.40 150. Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) COF 2.46.48 151. Philipp Buschor (Swi) SAE 2.47.00 152. Torsten Schmidt (Ger) ROS 2.47.14 153. Stephane Cueff (Fra) MUT 2.51.22 154. Philippe Gaumont (Fra) COF 2.59.18 155. Ludovic Auger (Fra) BIG 3.06.45 156. Gianluca Pierobon (Ita) BAT 3.07.35
1. Richard Virenque (Fra) FES 399 pts 2. Jan Ullrich (Ger) TEL 272 3. Laurent Brochard (Fra) FES 218 4. Marco Pantani (Ita) MER 202 5. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) SAE 188 6. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) FES 160 7. Pascal Herve (Fra) FES 124 8. Bjarne Riis (Dan) TEL 117 9. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spa) BAN 101 10. Fernando Escartin (Spa) KEL 95
1. Erik Zabel (Ger) TEL 282 pts 2. Frederic Moncassin (Fra) GAN 195 3. Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned) TVM 168 4. Mario Traversoni (Ita) MER 126 5. Nicola Minali (Ita) BAT 121 6. Robbie McEwen (Aus) RAB 119 7. Jan Ullrich (Ger) TEL 117 8. Richard Virenque (Fra) FES 112 9. Francois Simon (Fra) GAN 106 10. Adriano Baffi (Ita) USP 96
1. Telekom 213.46.49 2. Festina 09.50 3. Mercatone Uno 13.22 4. Banesto 23.31 5. Kelme 1.11.53 6. Mapei 1.28.26 7. Rabobank 1.35.45 8. Big Mat Auber 2.21.47 9. US Postal Service 2.25.22 10. Lotto 2.27.22 11. La Francaise des Jeux 2.45.12 12. Casino 2.51.56 13. Saeco 2.51.58 14. Cofidis 2.58.13 15. ONCE 3.00.58 16. Roslotto 3.12.15 17. GAN 3.22.43 18. TVM 3.50.34 19. Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne 3.55.24 20. Batik 4.56.07 21. Polti 5.03.58 22. MG 5.38.26
Virenque, second overall, and the German were given the same time for the 148-km stage from Alpe d'Huez, Ullrich's aggregate advantage remaining six minutes 22 seconds.
``I'm extremely happy to have controlled this second Alpine stage and not lost any time in relation to Virenque,'' said Ullrich, praised afterwards for holding back over the final metres in a sprint to the finish.
Spain's Fernando Escartin was third, 47 seconds behind, and Virenque's Festina team mate Laurent Dufaux of Switzerland fourth, one minute 19 seconds behind.
Defending champion Bjarne Riis of Denmark, fifth in the stage at 1:24, climbed one place overall to third, 11 minutes six seconds behind Ullrich.
Italian Marco Pantani, who won Saturday's 13th stage setting a record time for the 14.5-km climb to Alpe d'Huez, was sixth on Sunday, three minutes six seconds behind Virenque. He dropped to fourth overall, 11 minutes 30 seconds behind Ullrich.
Former world champion Luc Leblanc of France, who suffered a bad fall in the Giro d'Italia, withdrew from the Tour on Sunday saying he saw no point in staying in the race after falling more than an hour and a half behind the leader.
The stage developed into a fascinating five-man tussle involving Ullrich, Virenque, Riis, Escartin and Dufaux from the top of the first of three 2,000-metre climbs, the Col de Glandon.
``At table last night I gathered the team around me and said tomorrow (Sunday) we're going to win the Tour. I got the team very motivated,'' Virenque said.
Virenque led four team mates including Dufaux and Italian Francesco Casagrande of Saeco over the top of Glandon and in a fast break on the descent to set up the fight.
Ullrich, torn between staying with the second group with Riis, Spaniard Abraham Olano and Pantani, or trying to catch the pace-setters, attempted a counter-attack.
But after a long solo effort in which he closed the gap to 12 seconds at one point, Ullrich gave up with cramps and waited for the next chance.
On the next climb to Col de la Madeleine, Virenque and Dufaux staged another attack, with Casagrande joining the pair.
They were one minute 20 seconds ahead of Ullrich, Riis and Escartin at one point but seven kilometres from the top the second trio were only 25 seconds behind, while Pantani had slipped to 1:50 and Olano 2:15.
Virenque was first to the Madeleine summit for the third Tour in a row but Riis, Ullrich and Escartin were then only 22 seconds behind, Dufaux 35, Casagrande 1:20 and Pantani 4:00.
``When the gap was 30 seconds I set off alone,'' Virenque said.
The 27-year-old Frenchman raced away on an extremely fast 25-km descent but the leading five were all reunited on the flat for another fight on the 20-km ascent to the finish at Courchevel.
``It was to difficult to do alone, so that's when Laurent Dufaux attacked,'' Virenque said.
But Riis counter-attacked, with Ullrich following. Gradually Virenque and Ullrich left the rest in their wake.
Monday's 208.5-km 15th stage from Courchevel to Morzine includes five climbs and a downhill finish.
A four-leaf clover may have been the reason Richard Virenque won the 14th stage of the Tour de France on Sunday.
``I had a four-leaf clover in my pocket. I thought about it from time to time. Perhaps that helped me win,'' Virenque, third overall last year, said.
But the mountain specialist was quick to recognise that the real reason behind his fourth stage victory in six Tours and first in the Alps was the magnificent support from his Festina team.
``The Tour has always been Festina's race. Today we decided we would all explode,'' he said after a team talk over dinner on Saturday.
``At table last night, I gathered the team around me and said tomorrow (Sunday) we're going to win the Tour. I got the team very motivated.''
Festina, the strongest team in the classic along with the German Telekom outfit of defending champion Bjarne Riis and overall leader Jan Ullrich, set a hot pace from the first of three climbs at Col de Glandon.
Virenque was backed by Swiss Laurent Dufaux, veteran Pascal Herve and Laurent Bochard, winner of the first mountain stage at Loudenvielle in the Pyrenees last Monday.
By the final ascent to Courchevel, only Dufaux, eventually fourth, was still with Virenque.
Virenque said he had gone for a solo break when 30 seconds ahead on the descent of the middle peak, Col de la Madeleine, only to be caught.
``It was too difficult to do alone, so that's when Laurent Dufaux attacked,'' Virenque said of the Swiss rider's help in his final assault on the stage.
``Without Laurent it would have been a lot more complicated. He contributed to my victory.''
In another show of appreciation for team work, Virenque said his stage victory was no sweeter for him than when Brochard won at Loudenvielle thanks to his help.
Festina team manager Bruno Roussel said: ``There was a lot of selflessness and sacrifice.''
Riis did a similar job for Ullrich.
Telekom manager Walter Godefroot played down the trouble his two leading riders appeared to be having on the first descent when the Festina quartet's break threatened to leave the young German heir apparent isolated.
``We are lucky to have the top two again, in reverse order from last year. Ullrich always has team mates at his side. The team work for each other,'' Godefroot said.
Riis, up one place to third overall, said: ``Today was my best day of the Tour, but I had to accept that the two guys ahead were better than me.
``I did a good job with Jan. On the Madeleine I told him to take it easy, 'I'll do the work'. When Festina attacked on the descent it was crazy, but we didn't want to take many risks,'' added the 33-year-old Dane.
``When Jan attacked I could not blame him, because my considerations are secondary. The main thing is to keep the (yellow) jersey.''
Earlier in the Tour, there were doubts as to how Riis might take to Ullrich stealing the limelight.