Quick Step's Matteo Tosatto claimed Italy's first win on this year's Tour de France overnight, while Australian Robbie McEwen is virtually assured of his third green jersey win after his nearest rival pulled out.

Illes Balears' team rider Oscar Pereiro Sio of Spain (L), wearing the leader's yellow jersey, speaks with T-Mobile's team riders Eddy Mazzoleni (C) and Giuseppe Guerini of Italy before the start of the 18th stage of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race between Morzine and Macon, July 21, 2006.[Reuters]

Tosatto won a two-man sprint to win the 197km 18th stage to Macon, but there was no change in the overall standings.

Spaniard Oscar Pereiro of the Caisse d'Epargne team kept the race leader's yellow jersey with a 12 seconds lead on compatriot Carlos Sastre of CSC after they both came in with the peloton around eight minutes later.

American race favourite Floyd Landis of Phonak is still in third place at 30sec ahead of tonight's 57km time trial, which will prove decisive for the destination of the yellow jersey.

Australian Cadel Evans stayed fifth at 3:08.

McEwen's green jersey campaign was boosted before the stage got rolling when rival Oscar Freire pulled out.

McEwen has 254 points in the standings and Freire had been sitting second at 207. His withdrawal means German veteran Erik Zabel, with 175, is now McEwen's nearest rival.

With the race now set to hinge on tonight's time trial, 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," he 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.

"I'm optimistic. I'm confident in my time trialling," said the American. "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 three stage wins to 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 a 14-strong lead group of riders with 50km to race along with Spaniard Inaki Isasi.

However they were soon reeled in, and the American's Gerolsteiner team-mate 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 kilometre it was still wide open, but in the closing 200 metres Scholz ran out of steam. He dropped off, virtually guaranteeing an Italian victory on 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 team-mate 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.