The Belgian sprinter Tom Steels yesterday attacked the race referees as "little dictators", after he was bizarrely relegated to last place for dangerous riding in a spectacular sprint finish won by the Estonian Jaan Kirsipuu on the Quai des Alpes by the river Rhine.
Steels has won nine stages in the five Tours he has started, but has also fallen foul of the commissaires officials three times, most spectacularly in 1997, when he was sent home for throwing a bottle with intent at a fellow sprinter in the finishing straight.
Yesterday he said the referees "decided the race from their armchairs" and added "they've given me a lesson: the next time I feel another rider in contact with me in a sprint, I'll complain." Kirsipuu, whose only other stage win dates back to 1999, emerged the winner, but just before he did so the young French sprinter Damien Nazon moved across to the left to "shut the door" and prevent the points leader Erik Zabel from coming past him - a common, if questionable manoeuvre. Zabel bounced off Nazon's bottom and moved to his left, coming into contact with Steels who looked to have had nothing to do with the original offence.
The Belgians had a bad day, with two of their men, Axel Merckx and Rik Verbrugghe, in the day's main escape, a classy affair lasting almost 100 miles which included two other team leaders, France's Laurent Brochard, and the Italian Michele Bartoli. Bartoli had a chance of snaffling the yellow jersey from Stuart O'Grady, so the quartet were closely monitored by the Australian's Credit Agricole team, and there was no romantic ending for Merckx, whose father Eddy won here in 1971.
Today's stage to Colmar has five second and third-category climbs. including the Kreuzweg -way of the cross - and Le Calvaire. This does not bode well for Britain's David Millar, whose personal cavalry continued yesterday when he was left behind on the lower slopes of the only climb, the Col du Donon. He came in last, 16min 35sec behind and is now over an hour behind O'Grady.
Kirsipuu won his first tour stage in 1999 and heaped praise on his Belgian team-mate Ludovic Capelle after yesterday's win.
"I was in a little bit of trouble over the mountain but my team helped me and Ludovic Capelle gave me the push I needed when he led out the sprint at the end," said Kirsipuu.
Despite the 211 kilometre route, which introduced the first second category climb of the tour so far- the Col de Donon - a five-man breakaway including Lotto Adecco's Rik Verbrugghe and Jean Delatour's French rider Larent Brochard decided to go for broke after only 45 kilometres had been completed.
The group managed to stay in front of the main group for 150 kilometres but were gradually reeled in on the ascent of the Col de Donon.
Overall leader Stuart O'Grady and sprint specialist Zabel were well positioned to make a break for the line, but it was Capelle who went first.
His move prompted Kirsipuu to power to the front and seal the stage just ahead of Frenchman Nazon.
O'Grady's fifth place was enough for him to keep the yellow jersey. He remains 26 seconds ahead of Jens Voigt, who finished in 25th place, in the overall standings.
