PERPIGNAN, France -- Laurent Desbiens won a Tour de France stage on Wednesday only two weeks after being picked to replace an injured team mate.

The Frenchman won the 119-mile 11th stage from Andorra after Ukrainian Sergei Outschakov, who finished first, was relegated to third place for not holding his line.

Italian Carlo Finco was given second place. The trio finished 18 seconds ahead of the chasing pack, which included overall leader Jan Ullrich of Germany, who comfortably retained the yellow jersey.

"I said to myself I was capable of doing something big on this Tour. There was no pressure on my shoulders," said Desbiens, a second reserve before the Tour for the French Cofidis team.

THE 27-YEAR-OLD FRENCHMAN, WINNER of the first stage of the Midi Libre race in late May, said he was taking part in the Tour of Luxembourg in mid-June when Cofidis told him he was also needed for the French classic.

"I dedicate my win to Tony Rominger," Desbiens said of his team's veteran Swiss leader, who pulled out of the Tour with a broken collarbone in the third stage last week.

Cofidis have been hit by a series of misfortunes. They have American Lance Armstrong recovering from cancer and Italian Maurizio Fondriest nursing a back injury.

They had Francis Moreau lined up for the Tour before he was injured, then also lost Stephan Goubert to injury, which is when Desbiens stepped in.

I'm a stage-race rider. I said last week I could do something after the Pyrenees," Desbiens said.

AN ANGRY AND DISAPPOINTED Outschakov, claiming he was far enough ahead of Desbiens not to be judged to have strayed from his line, said: "My advantage was good."

The Ukrainian, winner of a stage on the 1995 Tour, added: "Desbiens had room to pass."

But television replays showed the Ukrainian edging Desbiens, who was close behind him, toward the side barriers a few yards from the finish line.

ULLRICH HAD AN EASY DAY in the peloton after his exploits on Tuesday, when he snatched the yellow jersey in commanding fashion on the final ascent of the grueling 10th stage in the Pyrenees.

The only change at the top of the standings was the 20 points the judges gave back to Frenchman Richard Virenque after he had been penalized for a minor refreshments infringement on Tuesday.

Virenque, second overall as well as king of the mountains, is now two minutes, 38 seconds behind Ullrich as the riders enjoy a rest day on Thursday before the 12 stage on Friday, a 34-mile time-trial in St. Etienne.

The riders will reach the finish line along the Champs Elysees in Paris on July 27.