Mariano Piccoli escaped with multiple abrasions to his arm and thigh after crashing on a mountain descent.
Maurizio Fondriest was a non-starter because of fatigue.
Remaining are 129 of the original 198 riders.
Italians Giovanni Lombardi and Mario Manzoni, were disqualified for irregularities in the final sprint. Lombardi was penalized for not holding his line in the last 100 meters, pushing Manzoni into the railings on the side of the road. Manzoni was disqualified for taking his hands off the handlebar and apparently pushing Lombardi in the finishing sprint.
Someone stole one of Rominger's bikes, worth an estimated Lire 7 million ($4000), early Monday.
Stage 16 - 224 kms
1. Giuseppe Citterio (Italy-AKI Gipiemme) 05:44:44 2. Roberto Pagnin (Italy-ZG Mobili) 3. Davide Bramati (Italy-Lampre) 4. Silvio Martinello (Italy-Mercatone Uno) 5. Francois Simon (France-Castorama) 6. Rolf Sorensen (Denmark-Maglificio MG) 7. Giovanni Fidanza (Italy-Polti) 8. Michel Lafis (Sweden-Amore & Vita) 9. Marco Villa (Italy-Amore & Vita) 10. Andreas Kappes (Germany-Ceramiche Refin) 11. Mario Kummer (Germany-Telekom) 12. Jose Rodriguez Garcia (Spain-Kelme) 13. Sauro Gallorini (Italy-Navigare) 14. Bo Hamburger (Denmark-TVM) 15. Jean Jacques Henry (France-Festina) 16. Vassili Davidenko (Georgia-Navigare) 17. Jose Luis Arrieta (Spain-Banesto) 18. Roberto Pelliconi (Italy-Ceramiche Refin) 19. Fabrizio Bontempi (Italy-Brescialat) 20. Pascal Herve (France-Festina) all s.t. And; 30. Pascal Richard, Switzerland, Maglificio MG-Technogym 32. Stephen Hodge, Australia, Festina-Lotus 48. Eugeni Berzin, Russia, Gewiss-Ballan 50. Tony Rominger, Switzerland, Mapei-GB 54. Georg Totschnig, Austria, Team Polti 55. Patrick Jonker, Australia, ONCE 56. Piotre Ugrumov, Latvia, Gewiss-Ballan 93. Andrew Hampsten, Boulder, Colo., Banesto 104. Erik Breukink, Netherlands, ONCE 110. Omar Pumar, Brazil, Brescialat all s.t.G.C.
1. Tony Rominger (Switzerland-Mapei GB) 73:02:52 2. Piotr Ugrumov (Latvia-Gewiss Ballan) + 3:14 3. Evgeny Berzin (Russia-Gewiss Ballan) 3:29 4. Claudio Chiappucci (Italy-Carrera) 5:25 5. Oliveiro Rincon (Colombia-ONCE) 6:13 6. Heinz Imboden (Switzerland-Ceramiche Refin) 7:15 7. Georg Totschnig (Austria-Polti) 7:38 8. Pavel Tonkov (Russia-Lampre) 8:04 9. Enrico Zaina (Italy-Carrera) 8:59 10. Francesco Casagrande (Italy-Mercatone Uno) 9:34 11. Laurent Madouas (France-Castorama) 10:52 12. Bruno Cenghialta (Italy-Gewiss Ballan) 11:37 13. Herman Buenahora (Colombia-Kelme) 13:32 14. Paolo Lanfranchi (Italy-Brescialat) 14:50 15. Stefano Cattai (Italy-ZG Mobili) 15:13 16. Pascal Richard (Switzerland-Maglificio MG) 18:25 17. Francisco Mauleon (Spain-Mapei GB) 18:44 18. Mariano Piccoli (Italy-Brescialat) 23:12 19. Vladimir Poulnikov (Ukraine-Telekom) s.t. 20. Nelson Rodriguez (Colombia-ZG Mobili) 24:18 And; 59. Andrew Hampsten (USA-Banesto) 1:45:43
Rominger averaged 39 kph during his ride. Berzin blamed injury for his second-rate performance. "I haven't been at my best since yesterday. I have injured my leg, and yesterday I really suffered from the heat," said Berzin.
Rominger rode the "special" time-trial bike he used in last year's TdF instead of the carbon-fiber machine on which he scored the second of his three against-the-clock successes in this Giro. It was the spare carbon-fiber bike that was stolen from the storeroom of the team hotel two days ago.
Stage 17 - 43 kms ITT
1. Tony Rominger (Switzerland-Mapei GB) 01:05:59 2. Evgeny Berzin (Russia-Gewiss Ballan) + 01:39 3. Piotr Ugrumov (Latvia-Gewiss Ballan) 2:03 4. Francesco Casagrande (Italy-Mercatone Uno) 3:11 5. Pavel Tonkov (Russia-Lampre) 3:27 6. Zenon Jaskula (Poland-AKI Gipiemme) 3:44 7. Oliveiro Rincon (Colombia-ONCE) 4:08 8. Claudio Chiappucci (Italy-Carrera) 4:10 9. Heinz Imboden (Switzerland-Ceramiche Refin) 4:37 10. Georg Totschnig (Austria-Polti) 4:44 11. Enrico Zaina (Italy-Carrera) 4:45 12. Rodolfo Massi (Italy-Ceramiche Refin) 4:55 13. Pascal Richard (Switzerland-Maglificio MG) 4:58 14. Paolo Lanfranchi (Italy-Brescialat) 5:00 15. Bruno Cenghialta (Italy-Gewiss Ballan) 5:20 16. Arsenio Gonzalez (Spain-Mapei GB) 5:27 17. Stefano Cattai (Italy-ZG Mobili) 5:39 18. Vladimir Poulnikov (Ukraine-Telekom) 6:11 19. Giorgio Furlan (Italy-Gewiss Ballan) 6:12 20. Herman Buenahora (Colombia-Kelme) 6:14 And; 80. Andrew Hampsten (USA-Banesto) 10:24G.C. (17)
1. Rominger 74:08:51 2. Berzin + 5:08 3. Ugrumov 5:17 4. Chiappucci 9:35 5. Rincon 10:21 6. Tonkov 11:31 7. Imboden 11:52 8. Totschnig 12:22 9. Casagrande 12:45 10. Zaina 13:44 11. Cenghialta 16:57 12. Laurent Madouas (France-Castorama) 17:17 13. Buenahora 19:46 14. Lanfranchi 19:50 15. Cattai 20:52 16. Richard 23:23 17. Francisco Mauleon (Spain-Mapei GB) 27:01 18. Poulnikov 29:23 19. Nelson Rodriguez (Colombia-ZG Mobili) 30:49 20. Gonzalez 31:08 And; 59. Andrew Hampsten 1:56:07
Guerini made the decisive attack 21 kms from the finish. Zanette went with him as they left behind the 18-man group who had broken clear after 90 kms. Rominger and others took it so easy on the slick roads that on the finishing circuit, they were lapped by Zanette and Guerini in the first of two laps.
Zanette said, "It was a great feeling for me and even more enjoyable knowing that the race leader was in that group as we passed. Many times I have been lapped in circuit races. For once I was doing the lapping."
Rominger's group finished at 00:15:25 after the stage winner.
Col dell'Agnello, the highest col (2,748m) in this year's Giro, was declared passable by race officials. Snow is reported on the last 2.5 kms before the summit. In addition to that, the peloton takes on the Col d'Izoard (2,361m), giving riders a preview of a climb they'll see in this year's Tour.
Stage 18 - 221 kms
1. Denis Zanette (Italy-AKI Gipiemme) 05:30:44 2. Giuseppe Guerini (Italy-Navigare) s.t. 3. Sergei Outschakov (Ukraine-Polti) + 01:11 4. Vladimir Poulnikov (Ukraine-Telekom) 5. Roberto Pelliconi (Italy-Ceramiche Refin) 6. Lars Johnsen (Norway-TVM) 7. Roberto Pagnin (Italy-ZG Mobili) 8. Andrei Teteriouk (Kazakhstan-AKI Gipiemme) 9. Davide Rebellin (Italy-Maglificio MG) 10. Mario Chiesa (Italy-Carrera) 11. Michel Lafis (Sweden-Amore & Vita) 12. Mariano Piccoli (Italy-Brescialat) 13. Mauro Santaromita (Italy-Gewiss Ballan) 14. Marco Saligari (Italy-Maglificio MG) all s.t. 15. Giovanni Fidanza (Italy-Polti) 8:17 16. Giuseppe Calcaterra (Italy-Mercatone Uno) 17. Stefano Zanatta (Italy-AKI Gipiemme) 18. Sergio Barbero (Italy-Carrera) all s.t. 19. Miguel Pena Caceres (Spain-Mapei GB) 15:25 20. Andrea Tafi (Italy-Mapei GB) s.t. And, 63. Andrew Hampsten (USA-Banesto) s.t.G.C. (18)
1. Tony Rominger (Switzerland-Mapei GB) 79:55:00 2. Evgeny Berzin (Russia-Gewiss Ballan) + 5:08 3. Piotr Ugrumov (Latvia-Gewiss Ballan) 5:17 4. Claudio Chiappucci (Italy-Carrera) 9:35 5. Oliveiro Rincon (Colombia-ONCE) 10:21 6. Pavel Tonkov (Russia-Lampre) 11:31 7. Heinz Imboden (Switzerland-Ceramiche Refin) 11:52 8. Georg Totschnig (Austria-Polti) 12:22 9. Francesco Casagrande (Italy-Mercatone Uno) 12:45 10. Enrico Zaina (Italy-Carrera) 13:44 11. Poulnikov 15:09 12. Bruno Cenghialta (Italy-Gewiss Ballan) 16:57 13. Piccoli 17:01 14. Laurent Madouas (France-Castorama) 17:17 15. Herman Buenahora (Colombia-Kelme) 19:46 16. Paolo Lanfranchi (Italy-Brescialat) 19:50 17. Stefano Cattai (Italy-ZG Mobili) 20:52 18. Davide RebelLin (Italy-Maglificio MG) 22:18 19. Pascal Richard (Switzerland-Maglificio MG) 23:23 20. Francisco Mauleon (Spain-Mapei GB) 27:01 And; 59. Andrew Hampsten 1:56:07
Earlier reports had put the number of injured at 12, two with broken legs. However, Castellano later gave the revised figure without explanation for the discrepancy. He called a halt when he heard that snow was blocking the route at the 2,748-metre summit. At a press conference nearly five hours after the race, Castellano put the blame on the local council at Cuneo.
"They said that all was okay at 8.30 this morning (more than two hours before the start). We could not foresee avalanches and the forecast promised better weather.
"The work to clear the Agnello started an hour before the race left Mondovi and when we reached the top of the first mountain I received confirmation from the race police that we could not continue.
"Before the start I said that I would stop the race if there was snow but normally the Agnello is clear by June. We needed to give 72 hours notice if we wanted to change the route." Castellano said that he had not heard that anyone had suffered a broken leg. "Four were slightly injured and one had a broken hand," he said.
A minibus of television personnel including Ireland's Stephen Roche, the 1987 Giro winner, had a narrow escape. Their driver reversed his vehicle down the mountain road to avoid the avalanche as it hit the road ahead.
The leading group of riders was told of the new finish when they were within 12 kms of it and 84 kms short of the designated finish at Briancon. At that point they were more than six minutes clear of the main field, including Rominger.
Richard outsprinted Italian Rodolfo Massi to win, with Colombian Nelson Rodriguez third, in a town where crowds who had come to watch the race pass by suddenly found themselves at the finish. Rominger and the pack arrived four minutes 51 seconds later. It is six years since the Giro had to cut short a stage, when a landslide blocked the road near Lake Pola on the way from Trento.
The race was climbing the first mountain, the 2,284m Colle di Sapeyre, about 30 miles before the Agnello, where workers were still cutting a passage through the deep snow.
The first stoppage was in 1911 when over-excited spectators made it too dangerous to race. In 1946 the race convoy was threatened by armed Slav separatists and stoned on a mountain pass on its way to Rome.
Unexpected snowfalls have blanketed Alpine areas since Wednesday, causing an emergency situation for the Giro. Despite adverse weather conditions and high snow hundreds of fans had been waiting for the cyclists at the most difficult section of the stage. Cyclists were driven, via an alternative road, to Briancon for the start of Friday's 20th stage, another mountainous leg to Gressoney St. Jean, in the Aosta valley. Rominger enters the three last stages with a lead of 5:08 minutes over Berzin, last year's winner.
Race director Castellano and his team decided to go ahead with the race from Mondovi, although there was already snow on the pass. "There is no alternative route now," he said on Wednesday evening, having left it too late to switch to one of two alternatives that had been planned in the event of such a situation.
Among those rescued was Francesco Cavenaghi, the administration director of the race organisation. According to Giro sources, he and his son were trapped in their car until rescuers dug them out.
Witnesses said three avalanches hit the route along the Col d'Agneau pass just inside the French border with Italy. Organizers halted the race. They said the first avalanche passed spectators without causing damage or injury, but a second one at 1.50 p.m. local time (11:50 gmt) trapped three people including the driver of a car owned by a Swiss magazine. All three were pulled from the snow alive.
A third avalanche about half an hour later hit a group of people that police said may have included as many as 40 persons. According to latest reports, rescuers extracted seven people -- including a disabled person -- alive from that snow slide. Some 50 members of Piedmont's Alpine rescue team used six sniffer dogs, special sounding devices, and two helicopters in a bid to locate any other victims who might have been trapped under the snow on the 2, 748-meter (9,160-foot) pass.
Head of the rescue team Mauro Marucco expressed astonishment that organizers had allowed the race to go ahead through the Alpine pass. "The risk was foreseeable," he told Italian media. "It has snowed a lot in the last few days and at this time of year, when there are strong variations in temperature and there is no cohesion in the snow, the danger of avalanches increases."
He said race authorities should have asked for information from civil protection officials and the snow and avalanche services of northern Italy's Piedmont region before allowing the race to continue. "If this had been done, I don't understand how on earth the decision was made to go through that mountain pass," he said.
President of the local Val Varaita mountain community Domenico Amorisco said authorities in the Italian city of Cuneo were told about conditions on the mountain road, and four snowploughs had been sent to clear the pass. Race officials stopped the race at the Chianale di Pontechianale point with placings given when the stage was halted. Switzerland's Pascal Richard was in the lead at that stage.
Organizers were undecided over whether the stage will count towards the overall standings headed by Switzerland's Tony Rominger, who is currently more than five minutes ahead of his nearest rival Yevgeny Berzin of Russia.
Stage 19 - 130 kms
1. Pascal Richard (Switzerland-Maglificio MG) 04:01:11 2. Rodolfo Massi (Italy-Ceramiche Refin) 3. Nelson Rodriguez (Colombia-ZG Mobili) s.t. 4. Herman Buenahora (Colombia-Kelme) + 10 secs. 5. Massimo Ghirortto (Italy-ZG Mobili) 1:08 6. Marcello Siboni (Italy-Carrera) 7. Thomas Davy (France-Banesto) 8. Giancarlo Perini (Italy-Brescialat) 9. Patrick Jonker (Australia-ONCE) all s.t. 10. Francesco Frattini (Italy-Gewiss Ballan) 4:58 11. Jon Unzaga (Spain-Mapei GB) 12. Piotr Ugrumov (Latvia-Gewiss Ballan) 13. Enrico Zaina (Italy-Carrera) 14. Pavel Tonkov (Russia-Lampre) 15. Claudio Chiappucci (Italy-Carrera) 16. Oliveiro Rincon (Colombia-ONCE) 17. Paolo Lanfranchi (Italy-Brescialat) 18. Laurent Madouas (France-Castorama) 19. Tony Rominger (Switzerland-Mappei GB) 20. Evgeny Berzin (Russia-Gewiss Ballan) all s.t.G.C. (19)
1. Tony Rominger, Switzerland, Mapei-GB 84:01:09 2. Eugeni Berzin, Russia, Gewiss-Ballan + 05:08 3. Piotre Ugrumov, Latvia, Gewiss-Ballan 5:17 4. Claudio Chiappucci, Italy, Carrera Jeans-Tassoni 9:35 5. Oliverio Rincon, Colombia, ONCE 10:21 6. Pavel Tonkov, Russia, Lampre-Panaria 11:31 7. Heinz Imboden, Switzerland, Ceramiche Refin 11:52 8. Georg Totsching, Austria, Team Polti 12:22 9. Francesco Casagrande, Italy, Mercatone Uno-Saeco 12:45 10. Enrico Zaina, Italy, Carrera Jeans-Tassoni 13:44
Rominger lost 18 seconds in the stage, but has led through 19 of the 20 stages. Assuming victory, Rominger will be the first Swiss in 45 years to win the Giro.
Rominger criticized Berzin and Ugrumov for picking up the pace as he took on food and drink at a feed. "They fled as I was given the bag with refreshment." Rominger said. "Attacking at a refreshment point is something I never did in my career. I think it's not fair they did it." (The 40 seconds they gained were temporary.)
Stage 20 - 203 kms
1. Sergei Outschakov (Ukraine-Polti) 04:59:58 2. Pascal Richard (Switzerland-Maglificio MG) + 05 secs. 3. Piotr Ugrumov (Latvia-Gewiss Ballan) 08 4. Evgeny Berzin (Russia-Gewiss Ballan) 5. Oliveiro Rincon (Colombia-ONCE) s.t. 6. Claudio Chiappucci (Italy-Carrera) 26 7. Pavel Tonkov (Russia-Lampre) 8. Tony Rominger (Switzerland-Mapei GB) 9. Paolo Lanfranchi (Italy-Brescialat) 10. Georg Totschnig (Austria-Polti) 11. Nelson Rodriguez (Colombia-ZG Mobili) 12. Enrico Zaina (Italy-Carrera) 13. Laurent Madouas (France-Castorama) 14. Bruno Cenghialta (Italy-Gewiss Ballan) 15. Heinz Imboden (Switzerland-Ceramiche Refin) s.t. 16. Davide Rebellin (Italy-Maglificio MG) 48 17. Alberto Elli (Italy-Maglificio MG) 18. Francesco Secchiari (Italy-Navigare) 19. Laurent Dufaux (Switzerland-Festina) 20. Michel Lafis (Sweden-Amore & Vita) all s.t.G.C. (20)
1. Rominger 89:01:33 2. Berzin + 04:50 3. Ugrumov 4:55 4. Chiappucci 9:35 5. Rincon 10:03 6. Tonkov 11:31 7. Imboden 11:52 8. Totschnig 12:22 9. Francesco Casagrande (Italy-Mercatone Uno) 13:07 10. Zaina 13:44 11. Herman Buenahora (Colombia-Kelme) 15:20 12. Vladimir Poulnikov (Ukraine-Telekom) 15:31 13. Cenghialta 16:57 14. Madouas 17:17 15. Richard 17:38 16. Marian Piccoli (Italy-Brescialat) 19:25 17. Lanfranchi 19:50 18. Stefano Cattai (Italy-ZG Mobili) 21:14 19. Rebellin 23:03 20. Rodriguez 25:45