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Blistering

Jalabert takes the lead at the Tour of Italy

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Posted: Sunday May 23, 1999 03:53 PM

Laurent Jalabert holds the lead over Marco Pantani by only two hundredths of a second. AP

ANCONA, Italy (AP) -- Laurent Jalabert stripped defending champion Marco Pantani of the Tour of Italy's pink jersey Sunday, winning an individual time trial with a blistering ride to take a lead of two hundredths of a second.

Jalabert covered the 32 kilometers (20 miles) in 40 minutes, 36 seconds, relentlessly eating into the overall advantage Pantani built by winning a climbing stage the day before.

Sergy Gontcar finished second Sunday, 25 seconds behind Jalabert. Italy's Pantani, not known for his time trial skills, was a surprising third, in 41:31.

After nine of the Giro's 22 stages, Jalabert and Pantani are virtually tied, though the French national champion earns the honor of wearing the pink jersey by virtue of his narrow edge.

Italy's Dario Frigo is in third place, 58 seconds behind Jalabert, while Gontchar is next, 1:09 off the pace. Ivan Gotti, the 1997 Giro winner, is fifth at 1:13.

Meanwhile, the International Cycling Union issued a statement Sunday saying it does not endorse the drug tests being carried out during the Giro by the Italian Olympic Committee. The ICU said riders may refuse to take the tests.

Monday's 10th stage of 189 kilometers (118 miles) takes the riders from Ancona west to Sansepolcro in Tuscany.

 

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