Zoetemelk wins tour

Press, 22 July 1980, Page 30

Zoetemelk wins tour

NZPA-Reuter Paris Joop Zoetemelk, of the Netherlands, won the Tour de France cycle race yesterday which covered 3900kms, through four countries over the last three weeks. The 33-year-old Dutchman has come "second in the legendary’ cycle race five times but until yesterday was never able to win. Hennie Kuiper, of the Netherlands, was second over all after yesterday’s twenty-second final stage around the Champs Elysees in the heart of Paris, and Raymond Martin, of France, was third over all.

Zoetemelk took over the leder’s yellow jersey in the thirteenth stage as the race entered the south-west Pyrenees mountains. Once he had taken the lead Zoetemelk did not relinquish it, steadily building his advance to more than six minutes and never under serious challenge from the field of over 80 riders. The final stage in Paris was won by a Belgian, Pol Verschuere, after a 183 km ride around Paris including six laps down the Champs Elyses. Sean Kelly, of Ireland, was second and Jos Jacobs, of Belgium, was third.