Let Sky have the yellow at Tour de France: Lelangue

PORRENTRUY, Switzerland (AFP) –

Britain’s Bradley Wiggins (R) rides with teammate Mark Cavendish in the eighth stage of the Tour de France cycling race starting in Belfort and finishing in Porrentruy, Switzerland, on July 8. Wiggins took the lead of the race on Saturday after a commanding performance by his Sky team on the race’s first climbs on stage six.

BMC team manager John Lelangue is only too happy to watch Bradley Wiggins wear the Tour de France yellow jersey — as long as Cadel Evans wins it in Paris.

Wiggins took the lead of the race on Saturday after a commanding performance by his Sky team on the race’s first climbs on stage six.

The first day in the hills proved more spectacular than expected, with a number of pre-race hopefuls losing from one minute to several minutes to race favourites Wiggins and Evans.

The pair are likely to leave many of those same rivals further in their wake after Monday’s 41.5 km time trial in Besancon, one of two long time trials this year.

Map showing Stage 9 of the 2012 Tour de France, to be held on July 9.

But Lelangue is happy to leave the race lead with Sky for the moment.

“I’m pretty comfortable with this because they now need to control the race and that’s good for our guys,” said Lelangue when asked if he was happy to see Wiggins in yellow.

Only 10sec separate Evans and Wiggins, a deficit the Australian suffered to the Englishman on the opening 6.4 km prologue in Liege.

And while both are accomplished time triallists, BMC will do everything they can to make sure they limit any potential losses.

“We know the course, we’ve gone over it a couple of times and will look at it again tonight (Sunday) and then Cadel will do a reconnaisance tomorrow (Monday) morning,” added Lelangue.

The Belgian, who steered Evans to his maiden yellow jersey triumph last year after Wiggins had crashed out on stage seven, is happy Monday’s race against the clock is more technical.

Australia’s Cadel Evans (L) and Britain’s Bradley Wiggins (R) rides to the finish line at the end of the eighth stage of the Tour de France starting in Belfort and finishing in Porrentruy on July 8. The pair are likely to leave many of those same rivals further in their wake after Monday’s 41.5 km time trial in Besancon, one of two long time trials this year.

Wiggins, a three-time Olympic champion in the pursuit, is renowned for taking time off his rivals on time trials on long, straight sections.

“We’re confident, it’s a good time trial. A little bit technical, not so rolling and not so bad as the one in the Dauphine,” said Lelangue.

Although four-time world champion Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland (RadioShack) and German successor Tony Martin (Omega-Pharma) will line up as stage favourites, Wiggins and Evans are expected to distance their rivals further.

It could lead to a virtual two-horse race before the halfway stage, but Lelangue insists that will not be the case.

“It’s not a tennis game. There are plenty of guys, plenty of breakaways, and still two more weeks,” he said.

“I still remain confident there’s 10 guys who can be there (challenging).

“Anything can happen. It’s best to be in this situation with Bradley and Cadel second than having lost two minutes in the first week.

“But I think it’s a long way to Paris.”