Van Heeswijk edges Murcia sprint
SAN PEDRO DEL PINATAR, Spain -- U.S. Postal's Max van Heeswijk won the first stage of the Tour of Murcia as teammate Lance Armstrong his main Tour de France rival Jan Ullrich finished well down the field.
Dutchman van Heeswijk beat Ivan Gutierrez and Erik Zabel in a sprint finish to the 177 kilometer stage.
Armstrong, preparing for his bid for a sixth straight Tour win, finished 57th in the same time of four hours, 20 minutes and 51 seconds.
Ullrich, riding for the German T-Mobile team, was 84th, more than seven minutes back after being dropped 25 kilometers from the finish.
The five-stage race is the only meeting between Armstrong and Ullrich before the Tour in July.
Thursday's stage -- a 21.3 kilometer time trial -- should provide an opportunity to examine both rider's state of preparation for their Tour duel.
• Spanish rider Joseba Beloki will be out for up to six weeks with a painful Achilles tendon.
The former ONCE team leader had been due to make his debut for La Boulangere in Murcia.
The French team's director said the injury could be realted to the broken leg Beloki, a three-times Tour de France runner-up, suffered during last year's race.
