Tour de France : Canada’s Bauer Regains Overall Lead in 8th Stage

Canada’s Steve Bauer, who wore the yellow jersey as the overall leader after the first stage, regained the top spot Sunday in the Tour de France.

Bauer finished the 136-mile eighth stage from Reims to Nancy, France, in 11th place, behind stage winner Rolf Golz of West Germany but in the same time. Golz won the sprint to the finish in 5 hours 24 minutes 18 seconds.

That gave the 29-year-old Bauer a 10-second overall advantage over previous leader Jelle Nijdam of the Netherlands as the tour’s 192 riders begin their second week, bracing themselves for the Alps on Wednesday.

“I am surprised to have the yellow jersey back,” said Bauer, whose overall time is 26:42.05. “But I knew I had to go for it as soon as I saw the big move coming. Then I knew it was mine.

“I can expect two hard days now before I am sure to lose it to the mountain specialists.”

After nearly 125 miles of seeming inactivity, the competition charged in the last 12 miles as attack followed attack until most of the leading contenders were clear.

Nijdam missed the decisive move and finished with the bulk of the field 23 seconds behind Golz and Bauer.

Golz sprinted to the finish, holding off Etienne de Wilde of Belgium and Gianni Bugno of Italy. It was Golz’s first tour stage victory. He has moved up to seventh place overall.

The Netherlands’ Monique Knol took the prologue to the women’s Tour de France, earning her the yellow jersey as the leader for today’s first stage.

Knol won the 1.5-mile competition through the streets of Strasbourg. She beat the favored Jeannie Longo of France by .74 of a second in a race that lasted just more than 3 minutes. Third went to another Dutch rider, Cora Westlan.

It marks the fifth time the women are having a separate Tour de France. Italy’s Maria Canins has won it twice. Longo won last year.