Leipheimer planning Giro attack -- but not just yet

FLORENCE, Italy (AP) -- Levi Leipheimer is planning to attack. Just not yet.

Lance Armstrong's Astana teammate is third overall through 13 of 21 stages of the Giro d'Italia, with only Denis Menchov of Russia and Danilo Di Luca of Italy in front of him.

"I keep saying it, but it's day by day and kilometer by kilometer," Leipheimer said before Friday's leg, which was won by Britain's Mark Cavendish in a mass sprint. "If I feel good enough, I will attack, I promise you."

Leipheimer has won all three races he's entered this year -- the Tour of California, the Vuelta of Castilla and Leon and the minor Tour of Gila -- nearly entirely on his time trials.

But Leipheimer finished second to Menchov in Thursday's decisive time trial at the Giro and only one more short race against the clock remains in the race's final stage in Rome on May 31.

Di Luca said he's never seen Leipheimer attack.

"Well, if he's only six seconds ahead of me in Rome, I won't have to attack," Leipheimer responded.

Yet Menchov is 34 seconds in front of Di Luca, with Leipheimer 40 seconds back. Leipheimer may not have had to attack if he were chasing only Di Luca, but Menchov can match the American in time trials.

The stage ended next to the Arno river, within sight of Florence's famed Duomo cathedral. With the temperature hovering near 86 degrees most of the way, riders struggled to stay hydrated.

Cavendish finished in 3 hours, 48 minutes, 36 seconds over the almost entirely flat 109-mile leg that began in Lido di Camaiore.

Alessandro Petacchi of Italy was second and Allan Davis of Australia was third, both with the same time as Cavendish. Menchov, Di Luca, Leipheimer and Armstrong finished with the main pack, eight seconds behind Cavendish.

Armstrong has stopped speaking to reporters, apparently angry over the fallout of a rider protest he helped orchestrate in Milan last weekend. The seven-time Tour de France champion remained 12th overall, 6:34 behind Menchov.

"St 13 is done. And was done fast," Armstrong wrote on his Twitter feed. "I think we averaged almost 30 (mph) for 110 miles. Crazy!! All is well tho. Congrats to Cav-o."

Di Luca held the overall lead for a week before losing the pink jersey in the time trial. He most likely will attack in Stage 14 on Saturday, an undulating 107-mile route from Campi Bisenzio to Bologna, with an uphill finish.

"I think tomorrow is going to be a day for Di Luca and I'm just going to try to not lose time on him because that's tailor-made for him," said Leipheimer, who is looking toward Monday's stage, which features a tougher uphill finish to Monte Petrano.

"I think Monte Petrano is the biggest day we have between now and the finish," Leipheimer said. "Petrano is a long day and it's probably going to be hot. Some guys can just crack."

Cavendish won a stage for the third time in this year's race. The Team Columbia-High Road rider was again set up by Australian teammate Mark Renshaw.

"They spent a lot of time in the wind and did such a good job that I didn't have to go flat out," Cavendish said. "I was 80 percent."

Cavendish won the prestigious Milan-San Remo single-day classic in March and wore the pink jersey for two stages after Columbia won the team time trial that opened the Giro.

With no more clear chances for sprinters, Cavendish could leave the race before Saturday's stage.

"I don't know. We'll see. I want to carry on," Cavendish said. "The team is doing so well. We'll talk about it."