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Stage 13
Italians
rule the roads in Tour de France
 By
Francois Thomazeau
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Salvatore
Commesso of Italy raises his arms as he crosses the finish line to win
the 236 KM 13th stage of the Tour de France cycling race from Saint-Flour to
Albi, central France July 17. Lance Armstrong of the USA remains the
leader in the overall standings. cp/Photo by Jacky Naegelen REUTERS
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ALBI, France, July 17 -
Salvatore Commesso secured Italy's sixth stage win out of 13 in the
Tour de France on Saturday winning the 236.5 km ride from St Flour.
The 24-year-old Saeco
rider's victory gave his team their fifth triumph in this Tour, Mario
Cipollini having won four others.
Two other Italians joined
Commesso on the podium. Marco Serpellini, who broke away with Commesso
on the last climb of the day, was second and Mariano Piccoli won the
sprint for third place some two minutes after his compatriots.
Paolo Lanfranchi completed
an Italian clean sweep by finishing fourth.
Giuseppe Guerini won the
most prestigious mountain stage of this Tour in l'Alpe d'Huez earlier
this week, meaning the Italians have now won half the stages in the
race while local riders have failed to win one.
Despite the absence of last
year's winner Marco Pantani, Italy confirmed it was cycling's leading
nation on this Tour even though the first Italian in the overall
standings, Daniele Nardello, is only ninth, 10 minutes and 58 seconds
behind American Lance Armstrong.
Armstrong, still saving his
strength for the incoming mountain stages in the Pyrenees, finished
within the main bunch, 22:23 behind Commesso.
Commesso, who turned
professional last year and was one of the best amateurs in the world
two seasons ago, was one of 16 riders who attacked after only nine
kilometers.
Stunned by the intense heat
which stifled the peloton for the first time in this Tour, the main
bunch let the breakaways increase their lead all day.
Commesso and Serpellini made
their move 30 kms from the finish, in the Port de la Besse climb.
The breakaway bunch then
split into smaller groups as the two Italians, with a lead of two
minutes over their nearest rivals, were gearing up for the final
sprint.
Serpellini, who was beaten
on the line by Frenchman Jacky Durand in a Tour finish in Cahors five
years ago, tried to attack in the last kilometer but Commesso bridged
the gap and easily dismissed his rival for his first victory on the
Tour in just under six hours.
Sunday's 14th stage takes
the caravan from Castres to St Gaudens over 199 kms before a rest day
in St Gaudens, at the foot of the Pyrenees.
Tour de France 13th stage placings
ALBI, France, July 17 - Placings in the 13th stage of the Tour de France over
236.5 kms from St Flour on Saturday:
1. Salvatore Commesso (Italy) Saeco five hours 52 minutes and 45 seconds
2. Marco Serpellini (Italy) Lampre two secs behind
3. Mariano Piccoli (Italy) Lampre 2:07
4. Paolo Lanfranchi (Italy) Mapei
5. Roland Meier (Switzerland) Cofidis
6. Christophe Mengin (France) La Francaise de Jeux
7. Miguel Pena (Spain) Banesto
8. Javier Rodriguez (Spain) Kelme all same time
9. Lylian Lebreton (France) Big Mat 2:12
10. Francisco Cerezo (Spain) Vitalicio Seguros
11. Luis Rodriguez (Spain) ONCE all same time
12. Georg Totschnig (Austria) Telekom 2:19
13. Vicente Garcia-Acosta (Spain) Banesto 5:05
14. Massimo Giunti (Italy) Cantina Tollo same time
15. Peter Farazijn (Belgium) Cofidis 10:40
16. Erik Zabel (Germany) Telekom 22:24
17. Christophe Capelle (France) Big Mat
18. Stuart O'Grady (Australia) Credit Agricole
19. Stephane Barthe (France) Casino
20. Francois Simon (France) Credit Agricole all same time.
Overall standings in the Tour deFrance after 13 stages on Saturday:
1. Lance Armstrong (U.S.) U.S. Postal 62 hours 32 minutes and two seconds
2. Abraham Olano (Spain) ONCE seven minutes and 44 seconds behind
3. Alex Zuelle (Switzerland) Banesto 7:47
4. Laurent Dufaux (Switzerland) Saeco 8:07
5. Fernando Escartin (Spain) Kelme 8:53
6. Stephane Heulot (France) La Francaise de Jeux 9:10
7. Richard Virenque (France) Polti 10:03
8. Pavel Tonkov (Russia) Mapei 10:18
9. Daniele Nardello (Italy) Mapei 10:58
10. Giuseppe Guerini (Italy) Telekom 11:07
11. Angel Casero (Spain) Vitalicio Seguros 11:13
12. Benoit Salmon (France) Casino 12:32
13. Christophe Moreau (France) Festina 12:53
14. Andrea Peron (Italy) ONCE 13:32
15. Lanfranchi 14:30
16. David Etxebarria (Spain) ONCE 15:19
17. Kurt van de Wouwer (Belgium) Lotto 16:16
18. Meier 17:27
19. Mario Aerts (Belgium) Lotto 17:31
20. Bo Hamburger (Denmark) Cantina Tollo 17:57
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