Pantani climbs into frame

After the thick mist of Tuesday the air was crystal-clear in the Pyrenees yesterday. And the day after the first stage there the Tour de France took on a clearer form as well.

It seems only two men are now in a position to obstruct Jan Ullrich's serene progress towards a second Tour victory. One is Marco Pantani, whose consummate ability to conquer mountains and hearts was shown again yesterday when he took his fifth Tour stage win and closed to just over three minutes behind Ullrich.

The other is a surprise, the American Bobby Julich, who showed no signs of weakness as Ullrich attempted to respond to Pantani's attack on the final climb to the finish here at Plateau de Beille, 5,000 feet above sea level, in the heart of one of France's biggest cross-country ski resorts. In his second Tour, the 26-year-old from Colorado lies second, just over a minute behind Ullrich.

Pantani's win came in his usual irrepressible style atop a climb which came close to matching the Tour's toughest summit finish, l'Alpe d'Huez, for length - just under 10 miles - and steepness. He launched himself clear of the lead group soon after the start of the climb.

Only one man lay between the Italian and the stage victory he had been talking about since Dublin. The Swiss Roland Meier had led over three of the four climbs and had survived a spectacular crash at full tilt on the descent from the Col de la Core.

Meier and his bike hit a crash barrier, which stopped the bike while the Swiss went on into the air and down the hillside. Only a convenient thicket saved him from serious injury.

He pedalled on with undiminished vigour, but inevitably Pantani flew past him when he was five miles from what would have been the biggest victory of his career.

The Tour of Italy winner has regained two of the five minutes which separated him from Ullrich after last Saturday's time-trial, but he will not hear talk of a challenge for the yellow jersey. "Thinking about overall victory makes my head hurt," he said.

Ullrich had a straight-forward stage until he punctured at the foot of the climb to the finish. Professional cycling ethics dictate that no one attacks the yellow jersey in such a situation, but, once on a new bike, Ullrich spent valuable energy fighting his way through the back markers as they slipped back on the lower slopes and, after he had rejoined the leaders, Pantani wasted no more time before buzzing off to the plateau of the bees.

Abraham Olano abandoned due to the serious cuts he received in his crash on Tuesday. Spanish hopes now lie with the hook-nosed Fernando Escartin, one of the five who managed to hang on to Ullrich as he chased Pantani.

Meanwhile, all 20 riders of the disgraced Festina team will be questioned by police in Lyon today and tomorrow as part of their doping investigation.

A source close to the investigation said a dozen officers of the criminal investigation branch of police in Lille, northern France, would travel to Lyon to conduct questioning at local police headquarters. The team's staff and management will also be heard.

The police officers will question last year's Tour runner-up, team leader Richard Virenque, world champion Laurent Brochard, Swiss Laurent Dufaux and Alex Zuelle and other riders.

Nine Festina riders participated in the Tour until they were expelled on Friday evening. But all the professional riders on contract to the team are to be questioned.

Police have said they will also be looking closely into the accounts of the Festina watch-making company which is based in Andorra. As well as being a team owner, Festina is the tour's official timekeeper and one of its main sponsors.