Dutch rider Erik Dekker won his third stage of this year's Tour de France, the 155km 17th stage on Wednesday.
American Lance Armstrong retained the overall leader's yellow jersey and leads German Jan Ullrich by 5 minutes 37 seconds.
The 30-year-old Dekker, the 1992 Olympic silver medallist, just held on as green jersey wearer Erik Zabel led the chasing pack of sprinters in a late burst that left Dekker hanging on by the skin of his teeth.
The impact of the achievement reduced Dekker to tears on the victor's podium.
"I can't believe it," sobbed Dekker.
"This is something that me and my Rabobank team could never have dreamt of prior to the Tour.
"I fooled around a bit with Mario Aerts (fellow escapee) and then I realized that the sprinters were chasing me down fast so I gritted my teeth and just held on," he added.
In an extraordinary sight the two leading riders in the race Armstrong and Ullrich led the peloton in their chase of Dekker and Aerts before Ullrich, riding selflessly for German Zabel's bid to win a record fifth green jersey title, waved the sprinters through.
In stark contrast to Dekker's joy two stars of the grand Tour bid farewell to this year's renewal as the 1998 winner Marco Pantani retired with dysentery before the stage while two-time runner-up Alex Zulle of Switzerland quit after 50km – (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
