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1999

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Daily stages of the Tour de France.  Click on any day for a complete report.  Other Tour links will also be added as they become available.  Other Racing News

Stage 16

Tour leader Armstrong steals Etxebarria's show

By Francois Thomazeau

31517 bytes
David Etxebarria of Spain wins the 192k  16th stage of the Tour de France cycling race from Lannemezan to Pau, south western France July 21. Lance Armstrong of the USA retains his leader's yellow jersey. cp/Photo by Charles Platiau REUTERS

PAU, France, July 21 - Spain's David Etxebarria won his second stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday as the race left the Pyrenees but his performance was eclipsed by overall leader Lance Armstrong.

Etxebarria, who will be 26 on Friday, was the first in action on the four classic climbs of the 192-kms 16th stage from Lannemezan to Pau and was strong enough to outsprint his breakaway companions after five hours and 17 minutes.

The diminutive Basque, winner of the 12th stage in St Flour on Friday, became the first Spaniard since Miguel Indurain in 1995 to have won two stages in the same Tour.

But despite the ONCE rider's feat, Armstrong again provided the focus of the day.

Eleventh in the stage, the Texan now leads Spanish climber Fernando Escartin by 6 minutes 15 seconds overall with Swiss Alex Zuelle third, 7:28 behind.

The favorite to win Saturday's last individual time trial in the Futuroscope theme park also looks set to become the first American to win the Tour since Greg LeMond in 1990.

But his performance in this Tour had been overshadowed in recent days by doping allegations and innuendos in the French press.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) confirmed reports in the influential Le Monde newspaper that traces of banned corticoids had been found in the American's urine during a control on July 4.

But UCI added that Armstrong had a prescription to use a cream containing the banned corticoid triamcinolone to cure a skin allergy.

Riders are allowed to use corticoids to cure themselves with a medical prescription.

"I was using a cream, which showed minute traces in my urine, so minute that they were not there on day one," said Armstrong, who was also tested after the prologue on July 3.

"If someone wants to call it a doping story they can do it. But it's not a doping story," he added.

Last year's Tour de France was plunged into chaos by doping scandals, prompting local authorities to adopt a tough stance on doping in the sport.

Armstrong was again impressive on Wednesday, easily following Escartin when the Spaniard, winner of the previous stage in Piau-Engaly, attacked again.

But he said he had suffered a lot in the Pyrenees after winning the prologue, the first individual time trial and the first mountain stage of the Tour in Sestriere, in the Alps.

"I suffered far more in the Pyrenees than I did in the Alps because of the problems off the bike," he said.

"Some journalists wanted me to crack on the bike, but I was not ready to crack for them."

Armstrong, whose career looked to be over two years ago when he suffered a near-fatal cancer, again checked his rivals in this last mountain stage which went up some of the most famous passes in the Tour -- the Tourmalet, Aubisque, Soulor and Aspin.

Etxebarria, Italian Alberto Elli and Russian Pavel Tonkov, one of the most disappointing riders in this Tour, had made the first move of the day in the Tourmalet.

But they were quickly caught in the Soulor when Escartin attacked in turn. Armstrong, Zuelle and a dozen other riders managed to follow but other favorites were dropped.

Spain's Abraham Olano, last year's Vuelta winner, Frenchman Richard Virenque, the current king of the mountains, and Swiss Laurent Dufaux lost ground and finished nearly two minutes behind the American, losing their last hopes of final victory.

But Virenque, who again failed to give France its first stage victory this year, can be content with being certain of winning the best climber's classification for the fifth time in his career.

The Tour returns to the valley for a 200 kms ride to Bordeaux on Thursday.

Tour de France 16th stage placings/overall standings

PAU, France, July 21 - Leading placings in the 16th stage of the Tour de France over 192 kms from Lannemezan on Wednesday:

1. David Etxebarria (Spain) ONCE 5 hours 17 minutes 7 seconds
2. Carlos Contreras (Colombia) Kelme
3. Alberto Elli (Italy) Telekom
4. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) Casino
5. Jose-Luis Arrieta (Spain) Banesto all same time

6. Marcos Serrano (Spain) ONCE 5 seconds behind
7. Wladimir Belli (Italy) Festina 21
8. Pavel Tonkov (Russia) Mapei 9. Francisco Garcia (Spain) Vitalicio Seguros
10. Alex Zuelle (Switzerland) Banesto

11. Lance Armstrong (U.S.) U.S. Postal
12. Fernando Escartin (Spain) Kelme all same time
13. Frederic Bessy (France) Casino 2:13
14. Francois Simon (France) Credit Agricole
15. Mariano Piccoli (Italy) Lampre

16. Paolo Lanfranchi (Italy) Mapei
17. Angel Casero (Spain) Vitalicio Seguros
18. Laurent Madouas (France) Festina
19. Massimiliano Lelli (Italy) Cofidis
20. Daniele Nardello (Italy) Mapei all same time

Leading overall standings:

1. Armstrong 78 hours 2 minutes 53 seconds
2. Escartin 6 minutes 15 seconds behind
3. Zuelle 7:28
4. Laurent Dufaux (Switzerland) Saeco 10:30
5. Richard Virenque (France) Polti 11:40

6. Nardello 13:27
7. Casero 13:34
8. Abraham Olano (Spain) ONCE 14:29
9. Belli 15:14
10. Kurt van de Wouwer (Belgium) Lotto 18:35

11. Tonkov 19:26
12. Etxebarria 19:31
13. Andrea Peron (Italy) ONCE 20:17
14. Benoit Salmon (France) Casino 22:55
15. Roland Meier (Switzerland) Cofidis 23:37

16. Stephane Heulot (France) La Francaise de Jeux 24:15
17. Tyler Hamilton (France) U.S. Postal 25:24
18. Lanfranchi 26:03
19. Contreras 26:46
20. Elli 28:06