PAU, France — Lance Armstrong once said there are no gifts at the Tour de France — a maxim that a Frenchman and a Spaniard showed still holds true, even with the seven-time champion out of the picture.

Racing toward the finish of Wednesday’s 10th stage, having left the field far behind on hard mountain climbs, Cyril Dessel and Juan Miguel Mercado talked about which of them should reap the win.

Dessel already knew the ride had been good enough to earn him the overall race leader’s prized yellow jersey and, as icing on the cake, the polka-dot jersey as the best mountain climber, too.

Mercado figured that was glory enough and that Dessel should leave the honor of winning the stage to him. He leaned over and said so — only to be told no.

“You don’t often get the chance for a stage victory at the Tour de France. I couldn’t pass it up,” Dessel said later.

Unable to agree, the pair battled for the win in a finishing sprint — and Mercado turned out to be ever-so-slightly quicker. It was the Spaniard’s second stage win in three Tours. His first was in 2004.

“I did my utmost but, despite everything, he won and I congratulate him,” said the previously unheralded Dessel, who despite his disappointment at being beaten relished becoming the first French rider to take the overall lead at this Tour.

“A dream come true,” he said.

Their race together at the front of the field redeemed an otherwise anticlimactic first day in the high mountains, where top contenders to succeed Armstrong sat back and let Dessel, Mercado and other lower-placed riders get way ahead.

There was logic to their lethargy. Expending energy chasing after Dessel’s group of 15 escapees would have made little sense, because none is likely to threaten for the Tour title. Instead, the favorites focused on not losing time to each other and saved themselves for yet harder mountain stages to come.

American Floyd Landis, German Andreas Kloeden, Australian Cadel Evans, previous race leader Serhiy Honchar of Ukraine and 70 others finished together 7 minutes, 23 seconds behind Mercado and Dessel. Many other riders were farther back.

“I don’t think he’s a threat,” Landis said of Dessel.

Landis started the day second overall and finished it in fifth place, still in prime position to make a run at the title.

Letting weaker riders take the overall lead for a few days is a tried and tested tactic. Armstrong did it with Thomas Voeckler in 2004, letting the Frenchman bear the weight of carrying the yellow jersey for 10 days before taking it off him again in the Alps. He then kept it all the way to the finish in Paris.

For smaller teams such as Dessel’s AG2R squad, having the jersey even for a short time can make their Tours. But for teams like Honchar’s T-Mobile, aiming for final victory on July 23, there’s little point in going all-out to defend the jersey now.

T-Mobile, especially, needs to harbor its energies because it is two racers short. Team leader Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner, and Oscar Sevilla were sent home on the eve of the race because of allegations they were linked to a doping ring in Spain.

“We can’t throw away energy or riders,” said T-Mobile rider Michael Rogers. “We had to kind of just limit our losses.”

That was just fine with Dessel. He started the day in 28th place, 3:50 behind Honchar. But he led the way over all three of Wednesday’s climbs, two of which were particularly arduous. He and Mercado covered the 118 miles in 4 hours, 49 minutes, 10 seconds.

“I am audacious. I know how to take risks and it paid off. It’s awesome,” he said.

Dessel now holds a lead of 2:34 over Mercado. Honchar slipped back to third, 3:45 behind Dessel. Italy’s Cristian Moreni is fourth, with Landis next, 4:45 behind the leader.

The French daily Le Monde reported Wednesday that Honchar, who dominated the field in last weekend’s first long time trial, was investigated in Italy for suspected doping in 2001. His team said Honchar has since been cleared and a spokesman for the Tour said organizers saw no need for further action.

Thursday brings the hardest day in the Pyrenees, with an uphill finish after four other hard climbs. Next week brings even harder ascents in the Alps, which could decide the outcome of the Tour.

Given the terrain ahead, Dessler will be hard pressed to keep the lead for long. But he’ll always have the memories.

“He’s going to live a big, big day with the yellow jersey,” said his teammate, Christophe Moreau, who wore it in 2001. “You’re never the same man again.”

Associated Press Writer Jamey Keaten contributed to this report from Pau.