Simoni is new favourite after taking Giro lead
( 2001-06-02 10:10 ) (7 )

Gilberto Simoni is the new leader of the Giro d'Italia after finishing second behind Mexican Julio Perez in the 13th stage of the race on Friday.

After the first mountain stage of the three-week race, Simoni took the race leader's pink jersey from fellow Italian Dario Frigo, who had held the overall lead since the fourth stage.

The 225-km stage included three major climbs in the Dolomite mountains with a uphill finish at the 2057 metre summit of the Passo Pordoi.

Simoni finished in the same time as Perez but importantly was 45 seconds ahead of Frigo. Thanks to the time bonuses awarded to the first three riders on each stage (12, 8 and 4 seconds), Simoni took the race lead by 43 seconds.

Another Italian, Wladimir Belli, is third overall after finishing seventh on the stage 1:01 behind Perez and Simoni and is 1:27 behind in the overall standings.

Several of the expected contenders lost large amounts of time in the stage and now have little chance of winning the race.

Last year's winner Stefano Garzelli lost 13:52, and is now 32nd overall at 14:58. Italian favourite Marco Pantani, a winner in 1998, lost 6:46 and slipped down the standings to 18th, 8:04 behind Simoni.

"If I can't keep up on the climb it means I just haven't got the legs," Pantani said, trying to explain what happened on what used to be his terrain.

Other big losers included Danilo Di Luca, who is now in 17th place at 7:29.

Germany's Jan Ullrich who is using the Giro d'Italia as training for the Tour de France race in July, finished 30:31 behind. He rode in the main field all day and is 80th overall, 54:42 behind.

RACE FAVOURITE

Simoni, now favourite to win the race, dropped all his overall rivals during the stage and seemed the strongest whenever the road climbed steeply.

On the Passo Fadaia, 30 kms from the finish, he rode hard on the 10 percent gradient and made all his rivals suffer.

Only Frigo was able to stay with him, courageously refusing to give up his race leader's pink jersey without a fight.

After the leading riders regrouped on the long descent, Simoni attacked again on the climb up to the summit finish of the Passo Pordoi -- pushing ahead several times until Frigo could no longer respond.

Simoni joined up with Perez and they rode to the finish together with Simoni happy just to take the race lead and let the young Mexican grab his first major stage win.

"I attacked five or six times and eventually managed to go clear," he said. "I was surprised that Frigo rode so strongly. I thought he would have been left behind much earlier. He rode well and is still my most biggest rival for the Giro."

He now rates his chances of winning quite highly.

"I don't think I will lose that much time in the time trial on Sunday and anyway the leader's pink jersey does miracles," he said.

GREAT RIDERS

The Passo Pordoi stage was the first major win for Perez, who had attacked on different stages during the Giro but been undone by crashes and bad luck.

"This win will change my life," he said with a toothless smile, the consequence of breaking two teeth in a crash a few days ago.

"I've never been able to ride better than so many great riders before. Today I rode better than Pantani and Garzelli."

On Saturday the second mountain stage of the Giro includes two more major climbs between Cavalese and Arco. Simoni has promised he will be on the attack again.