Another notable early pull-out on Stage 18 is Fillipo Casagrande.
Former world champion Luc Leblanc quit the Giro d'Italia on Thursday as a result of injuries suffered in Wednesday's time trial.
The Frenchman, third overnight four minutes six seconds behind race leader Ivan Gotti of Italy, started the 222 kms from Predazzo with his right thigh heavily bandaged.
After falling behind the main field Leblanc, world number one three years ago, pulled out some 130 kms from the finish.
Alexandre Shefer, who also fell on Wednesday, also retired because of his injuries. The Kazakhstan rider was fourth overnight, but managed only 22 kms on Thursday.
1. Jose Luis Rubiera (Spa) Kelme 7.00.02
2. Roberto Conti (Ita) Mercatone Uno 3.06
3. Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) Polti 3.06
4. Ivan Gotti (Ita) Saeco 3.08
5. Jose Jaime Gonzalez (Col) Kelme 3.08
6. Andrea Noe (Ita) Asics 3.33
7. Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Mercatone Uno 4.01
8. Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Mapei 4.03
9. Roberto Petito (Ita) Saeco 4.03
10. Dario Frigo (Ita) Saeco 4.03
11. Marcos Serrano (Spa) Kelme 4.03
12. Wladimir Belli (Ita) Brescialat 5.02
13. Dimitri Konyshev (Rus) Roslotto 5.39
14. Nicola Miceli (Ita) Aki 5.53
15. Francesco Secchiari (Ita) Scrigno 5.53
16. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Roslotto 5.53
17. Sergei Gontchar (Ukr) Aki 5.53
18. Giuseppe Di Grande (Ita) Mapei 5.53
19. Alexander Moos (Sch) Saeco 5.53
20. Torsten Schmidt (Ger) Roslotto 7.18
51. Glenn Magnusson (Swe) at 25min 50sec
55. Evgueni Berzin (Rus) same time
57. Alvaro Lozano (Col)
58. Axel Merckx (Bel)
64. Lylian Lebreton (Fra) 28:10
69. Omar Pumar (Ven) same time
77. Zbigniew Spruch (Pol) 32:01
Did not finish: Alexandre Shefer (Kaz), Filippo
Casagrande (Ita), Nicolay Bo Larsen (Den), Luc Leblanc
(Fra), Fabio Baldato (Ita), Endrio Leoni (Ita), Mario
Traversoni (Ita), Mirko Rossato (Ita), Marco Lietti
(Ita), Cristian Gasperoni (Ita), Enrico Bonetti (Ita),
Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita), Angel Edo (Spa), Elio
Aggiano (Ita), Jurgen Werner (Ger), Alessio Galletti
(Ita), Andrea Brognara (Ita), Roberto Pistore (Ita),
Manuel Scopsi (Ita), Andrea Vatteroni (Ita), Fabio
Sacchi (Ita)
GC after Stage 19
1. Gotti 86:20.35 2. Tonkov 1:32 3. Guerini 6:00 4. Miceli 8:33 5. Gontchar 10:27 6. Di Grande 11:04 7. Belli 12:44 8. Serrano 14:00 9. Garzelli 14:42 10. Rubiera 15:09 11. Savoldelli 16:19 12. Feliz Garcia 18:16 13. Noe 19:11 14. Frigo 26:40 15. Leonardo Piepoli 26:47 16. Alberto Volpi 31:10 17. Secchiari 33:04 18. Axel Merckx (Bel) 33:56 19. Conti 34:04 20. Riccardo Forconi 38:57 21. Jose Gonzalez Pico (Col) 39:26 22. Evguenni Berzin (Rus) 40:20 54. Alvaro Lozano (Col) 1.46:34 72. Lylian Lebreton (Fra) 2.16:52 76. Omar Pumar (Ven) 2.23:26 101. Glenn Magnusson (Swe) 2.43:22 103. Zbigniew Spruch (Pol) 2.52:12
The 19th stage of the Giro started at 10 from Predazzo, with 137 cyclist. At Km15 Filippo Casagrande retired, at 18km Alexander Shefer, at 22 it was Bo Larsen's turn. In the back of the group a very in pain Leblanc, who fell yesterday at the ITT. The first hour's average speed is 22.400 kmh. The second hour's is 28.350 kmh.
After 60 km the first attack came from Volpi and took about twenty riders. Then Vengono went again, Pierdomenico takes off for a little while. Then at the passo del Pinei Alberati attacks, which is answered by the Green Jersey (leader in the mountain competition) climber Gonzalez Pico who caught the attacker and kept on winning the mountain climb points. The Colombian is riding with Konyshev & Coppolillo at 20". From the group which is at 42", nine leave, Leblanc continues in pain at 1'50".
At the end of the descent there are 12 in front. Five others come from the group, including Axel Merckx. A little before the first Intergiro, Luc Leblanc retires
At Selva di Valgardena the Intergiro is won by Conti, followed by Konyshev (already the mathematical winner of the Blue Jersey), at 10" Faresin and another 14. The maglia Rosa passes at 1'22". The average speed at the Intergiro is 28,361 kmh. Five retire: Rossato, Leoni (fell on the descent of Pinei), Bonetti, Baldato, Lietti, Spezialetti, Gasperoni & Traversoni.
At the climb of passo Sella Gonzalez Pico & Conti attack, followed by Fincato. The Mountain prize is won by Gonzalez Pico, followed by Conti, Fincato at 20" Fincato, Rubiera at 33", Hvastija & the other fugitives, Lozano at 1'30", Ivan Gotti's group at 3'30".
At the first climbs of passo Pordoi, Conti, Gonzalez Pico & Hvastija are in front chased at 10" by Konyshev, Coppolillo, Rubiera, Merckx, Gomez Gonzalo & Forconi; Noe at 18"; Faresin, Fincato & Jeker at 25"; Puttini at 33"; Laddomada at 45"; Patuelli at 54"; Lozano at 4 minutes, the group at 4'35".
The Coppi Mountain Top is won by Gonzalez Pico with Conti at 4" & Konyshev & Hvastija at 37"; 56" for Rubiera, 1'20" for the chasing grupetto. Gotti's group is at 6'50".
Edo & Aggiano retire.
The mountain prize at Campolongo is won by Gonzalez Pico, with Konyshev & Conti at 8"; 13" for Rubiera; 25" for Hvastija; 1'05" for Noe, Forconi & Merckx; 1'30" with Coppolillo. The maglia Rosa is at 8'06".
Pavel Tonkov falls on the descent of the passo di Campolongo. He pays with an over a minute delay inrelation to Ivan Gotti, but joins the group again, since very honorable Gotti doesn't take advantage.
After the fall by Pavel Tonkov he rejoins Gotti's group.
Werner & Galletti retire.
Hvastija takes off from the group. Behind, Noe, Merckx & Forconi and with a small advantage Coppolillo & Gomez Gonzalo. Behind a couple of turns, Rubiera.
At S.Viglio di Marebbe Hvastija has a 1'33" advantage over Gomez Gonzalo and seven chasers; Jeker at 3'25"; Fincato, Faresin & Puttini at 4'55"; the maglia Rosa group at seven minutes, Tonkov (alone) at 7'26". The Russian changes his bike and rejoins Gotti.
At the climbs of passo Furcia, Gonzalez Pico reaches and attacks Hvastija, behind Noe & Rubiera.
From the group attacks Guerini (fourth after Leblanc & Shefer's retirement), Gotti answers.
At the climb of passo Furcia, Gonzalez Pico, Noe, Rubiera & Conti have a 1'35" advantage on Coppolillo; 2'05" over Gomez Gonzalo; 2'18" over Forconi & Hvastija; 3'50" over Jeker & Merckx; 4'23" over Gotti & Guerini; 4'56" over Tonkov.
At the start of the climb of Valico di Riomolino, Gonzalez Pico, Noe, Rubiera & Conti lead by 1'10" over Konyshev & Coppolillo; 1'34" over Hvastija; 2 minutes over Forconi; 2'25" over Gomez Gonzalo; the trio of Gotti, Guerini & Merckx travels at 3'42", Tonkov is at 4'18".
Gonzalez Pico & Rubiera attack; Gotti & Guerini leave Merckx.
Gonzalez Pico gives up, Rubiera continues alone.
At the climb of Valico di Riomolino, Rubiera is at 2'22" from Conti, Noe & Gonzalez Pico; 3'22" from Guerini & Gotti; Tonkov & his gruppetto with compatriot Konyshev who's helping him at 4'23"; Miceli & Gontchar are at 5'18".
Gotti earns 1'30" on Tonkov at the top of the climb, but is very careful on the descent: th road is slimy from all the rain. The Russian recuperates in the descent and by the falt before the next climb, he faces a 30" delay.
After 150 km of breakaway, he reaches the finish alone with his arms up. An impressive finish for Spaniard Jose Luis Rubiera, who has won stage 19 of the Giro, Predazzo-Falzes over 222 km. But today it is Ivan Gotti's day, who's getting closer to a win. The Bergamascan finished fourth at 3'08" from the winner, with a 52" advantage over Pavel Tonkov.
Behind Rubiera un quartet: Conti & Guerini at 3'06", Gotti & Gonzalez Pico at 3'08". Behind the unfortunate Noe at 3'33", who had a mechanical problem in the last kilometer of the climb.
In the general classification Gotti's advantage increases to 1'32". Third Guerini at 6 minutes.
Spaniard Jose Luis Rubiera (Kelme) won this Thursday the 19th stage of the Giro d'Italia. After his victory he declared that he thought that he could win when Conti slowed down. "I felt good and I wanted to stay away. At first I worked to secure the Green Jersey of best climber for "Chepe" Gonzalez.
Italian Ivan Gotti (Saeco) kept the leader's Pink Jersey, with three days to go. But he didn't want to talk about his possibilities of victory, "I was able to get more advantage from Tonkov, but I still can't assure that I will win the Tour", said the Italian.
Cesare Paolini told Reuters nothing was seized in the raid by a unit of the Carabinieri paramilitary police which normally specialises in investigations into food adulteration and pharmaceutical abuses.
He said it was not clear what they were looking for.
The Italian news agency Ansa reported that a search warrant had been issued in connection with an investigation involving gyms in the cities of Bari, Brindisi and Trento.
Team manager Giancarlo Ferretti said the blitz came as a complete shock to the team.
``In 30 years of cycling this is the first time I've ever heard of this kind of thing,'' he told Ansa. ``With urine tests, blood tests and now checks by the NAS (anti-sophistication group) sport has become so hard.''
The police raided the rooms of the riders, managers, mechanics and psyotherapists at 5.30 a.m. ahead of Thursday's 19th mountain stage of the Giro.
``At around 7.30 they came into the room,'' said rider Michele Coppolillo. ``They opened everything but didn't find anything.
The Russian chased for some 90 kilometres after falling on the rain-soaked descent from the Passo di Campolongo, the fourth of six passes on the 222-km route through the Dolomites from Predazzo.
He fought back from a minute behind to just 33 seconds, then fell away to 1:25 before his final drive cut Gotti's advantage to 55 seconds at the finish.
Gotti raced home fourth, 3:08 behind Spain's Jose Rubiera, who scored his first professional success with a solo of more than 25 kilometres.
``Hopefully this will open the door to a Tour de France ride for our team,'' said Rubiera. ``We are still waiting to hear if there is a place for us.''
Gotti said: ``I feel I can win the Giro but I cannot be certain. Tonkov is not 'dead' yet. Wearing the leader's pink jersey gives me a lot of morale. I am feeling more confident this year and the results prove it.
``If I have any nightmares they are about bad weather, Tonkov, and mountain descents.
``I knew about Tonkov's fall but I did not attack then. I just kept the same pace but when Giuseppe Guerini broke clear I followed him.''
Guerini took third behind fellow Italian Roberto Conti, and climbed to third overall, the position vacated by his French team mate Luc Leblanc.
Leblanc, his right thigh heavily bandaged from Wednesday's crash, quit 130 kilometres from the finish because of his injury.
Alexandre Shefer of Kazahkstan was fourth overnight, but he too pulled out because of crash injuries.
Although the field tackled the slippery mountain curves gingerly, there were several fallers, and a total of 21 retirements.
Tonkov, however, may be feeling jinxed. He won the Tour of Romandie three weeks ago with a fractured left hand, and in January broke his left wrist.
On Wednesday he had to make a last-minute swap of bikes before the time trial because his 'special' bike had an illegal component.
The searches effected at MG's hotel are part of an investigation by the district attorney from Trani (Bari) about the illegal use of anabolics. The D.A. sent out indictments to four gym owners, one of them from Trento, accused of production, sale and prescription of anabolic substances. In the search at the gym investigated in Trento, the police found more than 300 anabolic products. For now nothing has been said about the reason why the hotel rooms of team MG were searched or the link with the case that the D.A. investigates in Trani.
A monitored phone call is what caused the "Carabiners" (Special Militarized Police) to search the hotel rooms of Team "MG-Technogym". The anonymous call was asking Marco Dallapiccola, president of BIO Form Europa -company which imports from the US food supplements for athletes- for anabolic steroids for some Giro '97 riders. Dallapiccola, has been placed in house arrest.
The police confiscated some anabolic substances and used injections at the hotel where Team "MG-Technogym" was staying. From the eleven rooms used by the team there were some substances and used injections that were confiscated, but no one was detained.
Italian police on Thursday said they had carried out a drugs raid on a hotel in Carano where the MG cycling team has been staying during the Tour of Italy. A quantity of drugs were seized during the operation which took place on Thursday morning before the start of the 19th stage of the race from Predazzo. A police source said the raid was part of an operation regarding the sale of steroids and that the authorities had been alerted after intercepting a call from one of the MG team members. However, none of the MG team were detained. MG team director Giancarlo Ferretti said: "I'm not aware of what has happened but I will be looking into it."
Ivan Gotti, his fifth maglia rosa, went better than expected. "It was an important stage, to have overcome the stage gives me a lot of confidence. I expect three terrible days. I expect to defend myself. I assure that I will defend better than attack".
Dimitri Konyshev has conquered, with four stages to go, the Intergiro classification (Intermediate finish lines used to animate the stages half way). The Russian who until now has won 57 million lire (US$33,521), only needs to make it to Milano, where he will win another 30 million (US$17,643).
Mario Cipollini, winner of 4 stages, is the richest rider at the Giro. He has won almost 60 million lire. The biggest winners have been (in millions of lire): Cipollini 59.752 (US$35,140), Konyshev (Rus) 57.052 (US$33,552), Tonkov (Rus) 47.252 (US$27,788), Wust (Ger) 33.356 (US$19,616), Piccoli 32.448 (US$19,082), Gotti 23.920 (US$14,067). Teams: Roslotto-ZG 17.800 (US$10,468), Team Polti 16.800 (US$9,880), Mapei-GB 16.400 (US$9,644).
1. JOSI LUIS RUBIERA (Spa) Kelme 7.00.02 (abb. 12), 31,712 km/h. 2. ROBERTO CONTI (Ita) Mercatone Uno + 3.06 (abb. 14). 3. GIUSEPPE GUERINI (Ita) Team Polti s.t. (abb. 4). 4. Gotti + 3.08; 5. Gonzalez Pico; 6. Noh + 3.33; 7. Garzelli + 4.01; 8. Tonkov + 4.03; 9. Petito; 10. Frigo; 11. Serrano; 12. Belli + 5.02; 13. Konyshev + 5.39 (abb. 4); 14. Miceli + 5.53; 15. Secchiari; 16. Savoldelli; 17. Gontchar; 18. Di Grande; 19. Moos; 20. Schmidt + 7.18; 21. Garcia Casas; 22. Podenzana + 10.11; 23. Siboni; 24. Volpi; 25. Gomez Gonzalo; 26. Forconi; 27. Fincato + 14.05; 28. Gentili; 29. Piepoli; 30. Padrnos; 31. Hvastija; 32. Pierdomenico; 33. Coppolillo; 34. Jeker + 14.32; 35. Calzavara + 16.18; 36. Velo; 37. Bortolami + 22.33; 38. Barbero; 39. Puttini; 40. Donati; 41. Faresin (abb. 2); 42. Sgambelluri + 25.50; 43. Finesso; 44. Poser; 45. Roscioli; 46. Sivakov; 47. Vidal; 48. Loda; 49. Gonzalez Gutierrez; 50. Cenghialta; 51. Magnusson; 52. Bettin; 53. Della Vedova; 54. Ouslamine; 55. Berzin; 56. Mazzanti; 57. Lozano; 58. Merckx; 59. De Paoli; 60. Paluan; 61. Djavanian; 62. Vergnani; 63. Gualdi; 64. Lebreton + 28.10; 65. Bettini; 66. Dalla Costa; 67. Patuelli; 68. Tebaldi; 69. Pumar; 70. Hernandez; 71. Lecchi; 72. Calcaterra; 73. Boscardin; 74. Cabello; 75. Missaglia + 32.01; 76. Piccoli; 77. Spruch; 78. Bugno; 79. Baronti; 80. Zanette; 81. Pianegonda; 82. Bontempi; 83. Barbagli; 84. Molinari; 85. Cipollini; 86. Fornaciari; 87. Manzoni; 88. Pellicioli; 89. Lanfranchi; 90. Frattini F.; 91. Gallorini; 92. Brasi; 93. Mondini; 94. Laddomada; 95. Crepaldi; 96. Chiesa; 97. Dotti; 98. Peschel; 99. Di Renzo; 100. Frattini C.; 101. Wust + 33.38; 102. Pozzi A.; 103. Fontanelli; 104. Cauz; 105. Giraldi; 106. Ouchakov; 107. Cassani; 108. Giacomelli; 109. Bramati; 110. Alberati; 111. Bottaro; 112. Apollonio; 113. Caruso; 114. Tani; 115. Santaromita. 137 starters. Disqualified: 1 (Davidenko) 115 finishers. Abandons: 21 (Leoni, Bo Larsen, Bonetti, Chefer, Brognara, Spezialetti, Edo, Traversoni, Baldato, Pistore, Aggiano, Werner, Lietti, Galletti, Scopsi, Casagrande Fil., Vatteroni, Gasperoni, Rossato, Leblanc and Sacchi). Overall 1. IVAN GOTTI (Ita) Saeco 86.20.35 (38,670 km/h) 2. PAVEL TONKOV (Rus) Mapei-GB + 1.32. 3. GIUSEPPE GUERINI (Ita) Team Polti) + 6.00 4. Miceli + 8.33; 5. Gontchar + 10.27; 6. Di Grande + 11.04; 7. Belli + 12.44; 8. Serrano + 14.; 9. Garzelli + 14.42; 10. Rubiera + 15.09; 11. Savoldelli + 16.19; 12. Garcia Casas + 18.16; 13. Noi + 19.11; 14. Frigo + 26.40; 15. Piepoli + 26.47; 16. Volpi + 31.10; 17. Secchiari + 33.04; 18. Merckx + 33.56; 19. Conti + 34.04; 20. Forconi + 38.57; 21. Gonzalez Pico + 39.26; 22. Berzin + 40.20; 23. Gomez Gonzalo + 41.15; 24. Petito + 42.20; 25. Gentili + 44.17; 26. Podenzana + 45.31; 27. Bettini + 47.43; 28. Siboni + 56.27; 29. Faresin + 1.00.39; 30. Velo + 1.02.22; 31. Jeker + 1.04.06; 32. Coppolillo + 1.09.48; 33. Mazzanti + 1.10.47; 34. Pierdomenico + 1.10.54; 35. De Paoli + 1.10.57; 36. Sgambelluri + 1.11.17; 37. Puttini + 1.12.56; 38. Paluan + 1.13.19; 39. Konyshev + 1.16.27; 40. Donati + 1.18.59; 41. Calzavara + 1.19.36; 42. Piccoli + 1.20.06; 43. Bortolami + 1.21.54; 44. Cenghialta + 1.24.30; 45. Pellicioli + 1.24.32; 46. Padrnos + 1.28.30; 47. Loda + 1.29.02; 48. Barbero + 1.31.30; 49. Sivakov + 1.32.59; 50. Patuelli + 1.35.24; 51. Fincato + 1.39.55; 52. Vergnani + 1.41.41; 53. Ouslamine + 1.45.28; 54. Lozano + 1.46.34; 55. Lanfranchi + 1.48.12; 56. Gonzalez Gutierrez + 1.51.19; 57. Lecchi + 1.52.34; 58. Hvastija + 1.54.01; 59. Hernandez + 1.54.08; 60. Dotti + 1.54.16; 61. Molinari + 1.59.; 62. Laddomada + 1.59.18; 63. Finesso + 1.59.55; 64. Roscioli + 2.01.50; 65. Frattini F. + 2.03.05; 66. Della Vedova + 2.03.17; 67. Missaglia + 2.05.42; 68. Poser + 2.08.27; 69. Gualdi + 2.09.45; 70. Boscardin + 2.13.59; 71. Tebaldi + 2.14.28; 72. Lebreton + 2.16.52; 73. Mondini + 2.20.05; 74. Tani + 2.22.09; 75. Manzoni + 2.22.38; 76. Pumar + 2.23.26; 77. Chiesa + 2.23.48; 78. Frattini C. + 2.24.12; 79. Moos + 2.24.54; 80. Crepaldi + 2.25.29; 81. Vidal + 2.25.37; 82. Pozzi A.; 83. Cabello + 2.26.27; 84. Zanette + 2.29.03; 85. Caruso + 2.29.48; 86. Baronti + 2.30.04; 87. Apollonio + 2.34.08; 88. Giraldi + 2.34.36; 89. Alberati + 2.34.51; 90. Bugno + 2.36.25; 91. Brasi + 2.36.37; 92. Ouchakov + 2.38.59; 93. Fontanelli + 2.39.39; 94. Bettin + 2.39.55; 95. Djavanian + 2.40.08; 96. Cipollini + 2.40.14; 97. Bramati + 2.40.58; 98. Dalla Costa; 99. Barbagli + 2.42.37; 100. Schmidt + 2.43.; 101. Magnusson + 2.43.22; 102. Gallorini + 2.45.02; 103. Spruch + 2.52.12; 104. Wust + 2.54.; 105. Bottaro + 2.55.10; 106. Peschel + 2.55.59; 107. Fornaciari + 2.56.05; 108. Pianegonda + 2.57.39; 109. Bontempi + 3.00.42; 110. Cassani + 3.03.30; 111. Calcaterra + 3.06.10; 112. Santaromita + 3.11.11; 113. Giacomelli + 3.25.47; 114. Cauz + 3.29.40; 115. Di Renzo + 3.36.49.