Johan Bruyneel of Belgium won Saturday's stage of the Tour de France and moved into the overall lead of the cycling classic.
Miguel Indurain of Spain, winner of this race the last four years, made the biggest move on Saturday, charging into second place in the overall standings.Bruyneel and Indurain broke away 15 miles from the finish and left chief challengers Tony Rominger and Evgueni Berzin more than a minute behind in the final of a spectacular stage.
The psychological effect of Indurain's charge a day before the individual time trial over similar hilly terrain through southern Belgium's Ardennes was apparent.
"He was incredible, it was like riding behind a motorbike," said Bruyneel.
Indurain is 31 seconds behind the Belgian in the standings. France Laurent Jalabert is third, 11 seconds behind Indurain.
The Spaniard overtook Berzin, earning a 42-second edge, and Indurain led Rominger by 1.31 minutes.
After he caught his rivals napping in the sweltering 86-degree sunshine, Indurain took Bruyneel in his slipstream over the last two of 10 steep hills marking the 126-mile stage from Charleroi and left the pack 50 seconds behind.
His second-place finish also earned Indurain 12 seconds more in bonus time.
Sunday's individual time trial, a speciality of Indurain, covers 33 miles from Huy to Seraing.
"He will be real tough to beat in the time trial. I saw it from up close," Bruyneel said of Indurain.
Indurain has used the first time trial of each of the last four Tours.
He is trying to join Eddy Merckx of Belgium and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault as five-time winners. Indurain would be the first to do it five straight years.