Quick Step's Matteo Tosatto saved Italian blushes on the Tour de France after winning a two-man sprint to claim victory in the 18th stage on Friday.
Spaniard Oscar Pereiro, of the Caisse d'Epargne team, retained the race leader's yellow jersey with a 12 second lead over compatriot Carlos Sastre of CSC after they came in with the peloton around eight minutes later.
American race favorite Floyd Landis of Phonak is still in third place at 30 seconds ahead of yesterday's 57km time trial, which will prove decisive for the destination of the yellow jersey.
PHOTO: AFP
Pereiro knows the stakes.
"It will be the most important time trial of my life. I know that Floyd is usually better than me but I have to try my best," Pereiro said.
Landis finished more than a minute ahead of both Pereiro and Sastre in the race's first time trial over 52km and seems confident of overcoming his deficit and claiming the yellow jersey.
PHOTO: AFP
"I'm optimistic. I'm confident in my time trialing," the US rider said. "Today went fine. It was a bit of a recovery day. I feel good."
Tosatto meanwhile provided a first stage win for an Italian rider and the first for his Belgian outfit on this year's race.
Having seen star Belgian sprinter Tom Boonen fail to click into gear in a first week that was dominated by the three stage wins of Australian Robbie McEwen, it came as something of a relief.
Tosatto, whose career has been spent pulling the sprint trains for former team leader Alessandor Petacchi at Fassa Bortolo, and now Boonen, said he simply had to take advantage of Boonen's absence.
"It's true that I usually pull the sprints for Tom, but he's not here. So I knew that it was a golden chance for me and one I couldn't mess up," said the Italian, whose last major victory came on the Giro d'Italia in 2001.
As the Saunier Duval-led chasing peloton struggled to close a four-minute gap, American Levi Leipheimer attacked the 14-strong lead group of riders with 50km to race along with Spaniard Inaki Isasi.
However they were soon reeled in, and the US' Gerolsteiner teammate Ronny Scholz then launched his bid for victory 20km from the finish line.
That prompted Tosatto and fellow Italian Cristian Moreni, of Cofidis, to jump on board and the three riders went on to race the finale.
In the final kilometer it was still wide open, but in the closing 200 meters Scholz ran out of steam. He dropped off, virtually guaranteeing an Italian victory in the race after 18 days of waiting.
Tosatto proved the most determined, and despite having Moreni on his wheel he pushed hard for the finish line to win by a bike length.
The Italian added: "I was scared of Moreni because he's fast. But as soon as I began my sprint I knew it would be difficult for anyone to catch me."
Tosatto's teammate Boonen pulled out of the race a few days ago after encountering breathing difficulties on the second day in the Alps.
If the reigning world champion was still involved, Italy might still be waiting for a victory on the race.
Tosatto would be forgiven for thanking his lucky stars that Boonen hates climbing over the mountains in searing temperatures.
"If I turn out to be the only Italian who wins here, it will give more importance to my victory," he said.
Reuters, MACON, france
Yellow jersey holder Oscar Pereiro has hit out at rival team CSC for their refusal to try and catch Floyd Landis during Thursday's 17th stage of the Tour de France.
"What happened yesterday is a pity," Caisse d'Epargne rider Pereiro told a news conference on Friday.
Pereiro's team stepped up a gear to catch Landis but the CSC and the T-Mobile teams refused to help, sparing their strength for the last climb to the col de Joux-Plane.
"Yesterday we did the right thing. We have an easy conscience," Pereiro said.
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