Garzelli climbs to commanding sixth stage win
( 2001-06-26 09:56 ) (7 )

Italy's Stefano Garzelli turned a daring break into a convincing victory on Monday as he claimed the sixth stage of the Tour of Switzerland.

Garzelli, who escaped with Mapei team mate and former world number one Michele Bartoli just 42kms into the 156.6-km stage, left his breakaway partner behind on the gruelling climb over the Nufenen Pass. He then powered home four minutes and 22 seconds clear of his fading compatriot.

Italy's Wladimir Belli clung to the overall race lead for the third successive day, just one second clear of Giro d'Italia winner Gilberto Simoni.

"When we started to climb, Michele ran into trouble and told me to go ahead and not worry about him," said Garzelli, winner of last year's Giro d'Italia and the 1998 Tour of Switzerland.

"At first, I wasn't sure what to do, so I thought for a while. But in the end, I had to go away."

Tomas Konecny of the Czech Republic led the peloton across the line, taking third place in a sprint ahead of American George Hincapie to finish 7:28 behind the winner.

Just 25 seconds adrift of Belli in the overall standings, in third place, is double Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. The American finished the stage among the main pack in 16th place.

The peloton failed to react to the breakaway and by the time Garzelli reached the top of the Nufenen Pass, the toughest climb on the 10-day Tour, and began the long descent he had a lead of nearly 15 minutes.

With Garzelli's win secure, Armstrong's US Postal team was driving the peloton to the finish, limiting the damage ahead of what is expected to be a decisive seventh stage mountain time trial on Tuesday.

The 26-km run from Sion to the upmarket ski resort of Crans Montana was one of the prime factors in Armstrong's decision to use the Swiss race as his final tune-up for the Tour de France rather than the Dauphine Libere as in the past.

World number one Davide Rebellin of Italy pulled out of the Swiss Tour before the start of Monday's stage.