Vuelta a Espana

Stage 21 Results and Reports

Stage 21, Segovia-DYC Distilleries, 44 kms:

 1. Tony Rominger (Switzerland) Mapei          53.37
 2. Alex Zuelle (Switzerland) ONCE          	0.13
 3. Laurent Jalabert (France) ONCE           	1:47
 4. Daniele Nardello (Italy) Mapei           	2:07
 5. Laurent Dufaux (Switzerland) Lotus        	2:14
 6. Stefano Faustini (Italy) AKI               	2:22
 7. Angel Luis Casero (Spain) Banesto         	2:23
 8. Santos Gonzalez (Spain) Kelme              	2:25
 9. Andrea Peron (Italy) Motorola              	2:31
10. Bobby Julich (USA) Motorola               	2:36
11. Vladislav Bobrik (Russia) Gewiss          	2:48
12. Carlos Dominguez (Spain) Kelme          	2:56
13. David Plaza (Spain) Lotus                	3:09
14. Georg Tostching (Austria) Polti            	s.t.
15. Roberto Pistore (Italy) MG                	3:13
16. Kevin Livingston (USA) Motorola           	3:15
17. Tom Steels (Belgium) Mapei                	3:17
18. Fernando Escartin (Spain) Kelme           	3:25
19. Fabian Jeker (Switzerland) Lotus           	3:38
20. Daniel Clavero (Spain) MX Onda               3:45

Overall classification after Stage 21

 1. Zuelle                     		     93.38.19
 2. Dufaux                                     	 6:23
 3. Rominger                                  	 8:29
 4. Pistore                                    	10:13
 5. Faustini                                   	11:21
 6. Tostching                               	11:33
 7. Davide Rebellin (Italy) Polti       	13:15
 8. Peron                                   	14:46
 9. Julich                              	15:10
10. Escartin                                    18:35
11. Marcos Serrano (Spain) Kelme                19:19
12. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spain) Banesto          20:19
13. Mauro Gianetti (Switzerland) Polti          21:15
14. Clavero                                     21:49
15. Nardello                                    22:37
16. Bobrik                                      26:00
17. Axel Merckx (Belgium) Motorola              27:34
18. Javier Mauleon (Spain) Mapei                27:38
19. Jalabert                             	27:44
20. Peter Meinert (Denmark) Telekom         	29:56

Reports

Alex Zuelle looks set to celebrate his first Tour of Spain win by heading an all-Swiss trio on to the winner's podium on Sunday after following home compatriot Tony Rominger in Saturday's time-trial.

Rominger's win moved him ahead of Italy's Roberto Pistore into third place in the overall standings, two minutes behind fellow Swiss Laurent Dufaux who retained second place behind Zuelle.

Sunday's final stage over 165 kms, starting and ending in Madrid, is over mainly flat terrain and expected to finish in a sprint.

Rominger won the stage from Zuelle by 13 seconds, with Dufaux finishing fifth, over two minutes back in provisional timings.

It was Rominger's second time-trial win of the Vuelta and a splendid achievement for a man who seemed to have dropped out of contention after a poor third stage.

``I'm happy, since then I've moved up from 91st place to third,'' said Rominger.

The stage also marked the return to form of Laurent Jalabert, who fell from second to 20th place overall earlier in the week after suffering a stomach upset.

Jalabert came in third, one minute 47 seconds behind Rominger in provisional timings.

More

Swiss cyclist Tony Rominger's win in the 43km time-trial 21st stage of the Tour of Spain from Segovia to Palazuelos de Eresma on Saturday elevated him into third place overall -- assuring Switzerland of the three podium positions.

Alex Zulle of Switzerland retained the leader's overall yellow jersey, while compatriot Laurent Dufaux stayed in second.

"It's not the Tour of Spain its the Tour of Switzerland!" Rominger, a three time winner of the Tour of Spain, joked.

Rominger, who lost more than seven minutes in the third stage, was trailing Zulle by 11 seconds at one point in the time-trial but Zulle eased up when it became clear that Dufaux was not threatening his lead.