Schumacher says winning tour is not his aim

CHOLET, France (Reuters) - Stefan Schumacher achieved a double goal by winning the first individual time trial of the Tour de France on Tuesday but the new leader was realistic about his chances for final victory.

"I don't want to win the Tour. I came here hoping to win a stage and take the yellow jersey. I achieved both goals in a single stage. Now everything that comes next is bonus," the German said.

Winner of the Amstel Gold Race last year and of two Giro d'Italia stages two years ago, Stefan Schumacher is one of the most solid riders in the world but his previous victories were not achieved in time trials.

To beat specialists such as Briton David Millar or Fabian Cancellara, who finished third and fifth respectively and find himself in the Tour lead ahead of Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen and Millar came as a bit of a surprise.

"Before the Tour, my form came back and I was really optimistic for today but not to the point of beating a rider like Cancellara", he said.

Schumacher, who also won smaller stage races such as the Tour of Benelux and the Tour of Poland, admitted it would be difficult to keep his leader's jersey in the mountains.

"I'm sure my Gerolsteiner team mates can help me keep the jersey tomorrow but in the sixth stage to Super-Besse, it'll be very difficult with strong riders like Kirchen so close to me," he said.

His victory was good news for the German team he joined in 2006 as their manager Hans-Michael Holczer announced before the Tour their current sponsor would leave at the end of the season.

"Obviously, it's good news for the team. There is so much potential in the team that I cannot believe it won't go on next season," said Schumacher, who did not rule out leaving it himself if offers came from other outfits.

Schumacher's relationship with Holczer has sometimes been a stormy one and like many other German riders, the 27-year-old Tour leader has had his share of controversy.

Last year, soon after the world championships in Stuttgart in which he took the bronze medal, Schumacher was arrested for drunk driving and tests revealed traces of amphetamines in his blood.

"We had a serious talk before I allowed him back in the team. It harmed the image of the team, especially as it took place 10 days after the worlds," said Holczer.

Schumacher himself admitted he was "not proud" of himself.

"I'm a public figure, I should set an example and I was stupid."

The offence was big news in Germany as it came after a series of revelations and confessions from leading German riders about their past doping habits and the withdrawal of German television channels from last year's Tour because of doping scandals.

A new controversy arose from the fact that Schumacher was allowed to enter this year's Tour while Belgian Tom Boonen was ruled out after testing positive for cocaine.

"Boonen's case and mine are not comparable because Tom failed an official dope test while I was caught by the police driving back from a disco after an incident in no way related to doping," Schumacher said.

(Additional reporting by Clement Guillou)

(Editing by Clare Lovell)