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Stage 20 Merciless Marco strikes again
By Mike Price
ITALY,4 JUN99 - Italian Marco Pantani
puts on a pink jersey on the podium after he won the 20th 166 km stage of Giro D'Italia
cycling race from Predazzo to Madonna di Campiglio June 4. Pantani retains the overall
race leadership. pc/Photo by Stefano Rellandini REUTERS
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Marco PantaniThe pack of riders of Giro
D'Italia cycling race pass b the lake of Garda during the 20th 175 km stage from
Predazzo to Madonna di Campiglio June 4. Italian Marco Pantan won the stage and
retains the overall race leadership. pc/Photo by Stefano Rellandini REUTERS
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MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO, Italy, June 4 - Merciless Marco Pantani extended his Giro
d'Italia lead and savaged his rivals for a second day in the Dolomites on Friday.
He arrived at the finish of the 172 kms leg from Predazzo with one minute and seven
seconds in hand over his compatriot Massimo Codol an third-placed Laurent Jalabert of
France.
His solo effort over the final five kilometres to the Madonna di Campiglio ski station did
further damage to Paolo Savoldelli, second in the overall standings, who now lies five
minutes and 38 seconds behind.
Savoldelli still has to face Saturday's cruel leg over four mountains including the
2,621 metre Passo Gavia, the highest of this Giro.
On Friday, as the spreadeagled field tackled the 13 kms climb to the finish, Pantani
darted away from his rivals to pursue the breakaway leaders, Olympic champion Pascal
Richard of Switzerland and Colombian Hernan Buenahora.
He passed them five kilometres from the end and sped on to his second victory in as many
days and his fourth since the race began nearly three weeks ago in Sicily.
"I am now reaping the rewards for fighting back from my injuries in 1995, and not
giving up," he said.
"I also had to regain my self-belief," he added, recalling his 16 months on the
sidelines after his left leg was shattered in a collision with jeep.
Pantani is on course for his second Giro success and the biggest winning margin since
Gianni Bugno's 1990 success by six minutes and 33 seconds.
Apart from holding the pink jersey as race leader, Pantani also heads the mountains and
points classifications.
Spectators are already camping on Saturday's route to cheer on their favourite. The race
ends in Milan on Sunday.
MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO, Italy, June 4 - Leading placings in
the 172-km 20th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race from Predazzo to Madonna di
Campiglio on Friday:
Stage 20 1.
Marco Pantani (Italy) Mercatone Uno 4 hours 39 min 59 sec
2. Massimo Codol (Italy) Lampre 1 min 7 sec behind
3. Laurent Jalabert (France) ONCE
4. Gilberto Simoni (Italy) Ballan
5. Ivan Gotti (Italy) Polti
6. Hernan Buenahora (Colombia) Vitalicio Seguros
7. Roberto Heras (Spain) Kelme all same time
8. Oscar Camenzind (Switzerland) Lampre 1:29
9. Daniele de Paoli (Italy) Amica Chips
10. Niklas Axelsson (Sweden) Navigare
11. Sergei Gontchar (Ukraine) Vini Caldirola
12. Marco Velo (Italy) Mercatone Uno all same time
13. Daniel Clavero (Spain) Vitalicio Seguros 1:41
14. Roberto Sgambelluri (Italy) Cantina Tollo 1:43
15. Andrei Zintchenko (Russia) Vitalicio Seguros 1:44
16. Richard Virenque (France) Polti
17. Francesco Secchiari (Italy) Saeco
18. Paolo Savoldelli (Italy) Saeco
19. Massimo Podenzana (Italy) Saeco all same time
20. Pascal Richard (Switzerland) Mobilvetta 1:49 |
Leading overall standings: 1.
Pantani 89 hours 22 minutes 58 seconds
2. Savoldelli 5 minutes 38 seconds behind
3. Gotti 6:12
4. Jalabert 6:39
5. Clavero 9:51
6. Simoni 9:52
7. Axelsson 11:01
8. Gontchar 13:30
9. Sgambelluri 14:00
10. Heras 14:07
11. Camenzind 14:08
12. Zintchenko 14:22
13. De Paoli 15:43
14. Velo 15:45
15. Buenahora 18:48
16. Oscar Sevilla (Spain) Kelme 19:13
17. Codol 20:54
18. Enrico Zaina (Italy) Mercatone Uno 23:02
19. Virenque 24:04
20. Giuseppe di Grande (Italy) Mapei 25:01 |
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