Frenchman Clazati wins eighth stage

LORIENT, France – On World Cup final day, France’s Sylvain Calzati gave the nation a reason to start celebrating by winning stage eight of the Tour de France – only to say he was cheering for Italy’s soccer team.

Calzati’s father is Italian, his mother French – a tricky mix given that the two nation’s soccer squads were playing Sunday in Berlin.

“I am going to disappoint quite a few people, but it is a good omen for Italy, I hope,” Calzati said when asked whether his first Tour victory could presage a win for Les Bleus.

“I am for the Italians. I am perhaps going to set France against me, but I have chosen my side.”

Calzati, who was born in the southeastern French city of Lyon, was the second French rider to win a Tour stage this year, after Jimmy Casper took stage one.

Calzati, of the AG2R squad, broke into tears after he crossed the finish line Sunday, winning with a solo ride ahead of the main pack. Serhiy Honchar of Ukraine was in that main pack and held onto the overall race lead. American Floyd Landis also was part of that pack and remained second overall, 1 minute behind Honchar.

“I feel like I’m living a dream,” said Calzati, who moved up to 37th overall.

He finished 2 minutes, 5 seconds ahead of Kjell Carlstrom of Finland, a rider for the Liquigas squad. Another French rider, Patrice Halgand of Credit Agricole, was third in the same time.

Landis, who was 37th in the stage, and Honchar, who was 100th, both finished 2:15 behind Calzati.

Calzati’s win, in 4 hours, 13 minutes, 18 seconds, came a few hours before France played Italy in the World Cup soccer final in Berlin. And it came a day after Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo won the women’s title at Wimbledon.

With about 20 miles left, Calzati shook off the other riders in his small group and rode on alone to the finish.

Today is the first rest day.