Cycling: McEwan outstrips Zabel in sprint

In terms of pure statistics, at least, there was something inevitable about Robbie McEwen's bunch sprint victory in Reims on stage three of the Tour de France.

The Brisbane-born sprinter holds the record in the international peloton for wins in 2002, starting with the Australian national championship in January and including a brace of stage wins in the Paris-Nice race and the Giro D'Italia.

Yesterday's successful long lunge for the line brought the 29-year-old's season's haul to an official total of 13, although in fact he has cracked open the champagne on a further five occasions in other races not graced by recognition from cycling's governing body, the UCI.

For McEwen not to add a Tour stage to his bulging palmares (list of victories), then, would have been more of a surprise than the sight of the Australian's dazzling white figure outstripping Germany's Erik Zabel on the final slight rise in Boulevard Joffe.

Being beaten by 2002's "winningest" cyclist is hardly any consolation for the Telekom leader, but the German probably forgot about missing out on a stage win for the third day in a row when – thanks to taking two time bonuses for placings – he donned the leader's yellow jersey for the first time in four years.

McEwen did not seem so easily satisfied. After some lavish praise for his team's support by helping control the race for the last 100 kilometres across the exposed, empty plains surrounding the cathedral city, the Australian then used his winner's press conference to launch a blistering attack about rider security.

It emerged that as McEwen surged in the finishing straight, he had been struck by several of the huge green paper "hands" which one of the Tour's main sponsors distribute liberally to spectators lining the route.

"The Tour should remember we're riding at 70 kilometres an hour, and it's extremely dangerous," McEwen, a winner on the Champs-Elysées in 1999, warned. "I wanted to be close to the barriers so I only had to watch out for late attacks on one side, but when I started coming into contact with the hands I had to move out to the centre."

The late wiggle could have cost the Lotto professional dear as Zabel started to reduce McEwen's initial advantage, but finally only prevented him from raising his hands as he crossed the line.

"I wanted to have a picture with me giving a victory salute with my Australian national champion's jersey," McEwen admitted, "but it was too risky with Zabel there." Quite apart from showing concern about safety in his workplace, the outspoken Australian also expressed his fears for his longer-term job security, given that his team, Lotto, will fuse with Belgium's other Division One squad, Domo, at the end of the season. "We learn more about what's happening from the press than from the team," he growled. "None of the riders have any idea whether we will have a contract next year."

While the work of Lotto and Telekom for their sprinters on stage three will indirectly help McEwen in his hunt for a team for next season, their acceleration at the front of the pack also put paid to the two-up attack by the Frenchmen Jacky Durand and Franck Renier which had provided the main interest for most of the stage.

Having ridden for 160 kilometres past a succession of wheatfields and First World War cemeteries with only the television camera motorbikes for company, the duo were reeled in by the sprinters' squads just as Reims cathedral spire loomed on the horizon.

Not that Durand, at least, will have been particularly bothered. The veteran has made such long doomed attacks so much his speciality during his 12-year career they have become something of a Tour institution.

"I always attack to try and win," "Du-du", as he is nicknamed, insisted, not altogether convincingly, after the stage. At the very least his publicity strategy should keep him in the limelight, and out of cycling's steadily lengthening dole queue.