Giro d'Italia 1999 - 16 Lumezzane Jalabert

Giro d'Italia 1999 - 16, Biella - Lumezzane, 241 kms:
1. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 5.51.36
2. Marco Pantani (Ita) Mercatone Uno-Bianchi
3. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Ballan-Alessio
4. Roberto Heras (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 0.03
5. Marco Velo (Ita) Mercatone Uno-Bianchi 0.03
6. Davide Rebellin (Ita) Team Polti 0.03
7. Oscar Camenzind (Swi) Lampre-Daikin 0.03
8. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 0.03
9. Giuseppe Di Grande (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 0.03
10. Nicola Miceli (Ita) Liquigas-Pata 0.06
11. Enrico Zaina (Ita) Mercatone Uno-Bianchi 0.09
12. Sergei Gontchar (Ukr) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec 0.09
13. Niklas Axelsson (Swe) Navigare-Gaerne 0.09
14. Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) Vitalicio Siguros 0.11
15. Roberto Sgambelluri (Ita) Cantina Tollo-Alexia 0.11
16. Daniele De Paoli (Ita) Amica Chips-Costa Almeria 0.12
17. Ivan Gotti (Ita) Team Polti 0.14
18. Aleksandr Shefer (Kaz) Riso Scotti-Vinavil 0.14
19. Massimo Codol (Ita) Lampre-Daikin 0.14
20. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Team Polti 0.22
21. Orlando Sergio Gomes Rodrigues (Por) Banesto 0.23
22. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Navigare-Gaerne 0.23
23. Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 0.23
24. Andrea Noe' (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 0.23
25. José Manuel Uria Gonzalez (Spa) Kelme 0.23
26. Felice Puttini (Swi) Amica Chips-Costa Almeria 0.23
27. Daniel Clavero (Spa) Vitalicio Siguros 0.23
28. Paolo Valoti (Ita) Mobilvetta-Northwave 0.23
29. Mauro Zanetti (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec 0.23
30. Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita) Mobilvetta-Northwave 0.23
GC after Stage 16
1. Marco Pantani (Ita) Mercatone Uno-Bianchi 72.52.47
2. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 2.05
3. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 2.06
4. Ivan Gotti (Ita) Team Polti 2.33
5. Daniel Clavero (Spa) Vitalicio Siguros 2.43
6. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Ballan-Alessio 5.48
7. Sergei Gontchar (Ukr) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec 5.57
8. Niklas Axelsson (Swe) Navigare-Gaerne 6.25
9. Oscar Camenzind (Swi) Lampre-Daikin 6.38
10. Daniele De Paoli (Ita) Amica Chips-Costa Almeria 8.18
Report
The Giro d'Italia has come down to a daily match between Laurent Jalabert and overall leader and 1998 winner Marco Pantani. It resumed during Stage 16 and today it was the French champion who gained the victory by a hair's breadth. Jalabert knew he won the sprint but the judges had to consult a photo-finish machine before they gave their decision in his favour. The 243 km stage ended with a sharp 1 kms climb with the finish on a false flat at the end of the climb. The public were out in their thousands on the last climb into the small Lomdardian city in the Brescian hills.
Two Italians Gabriele Missaglia and Paolo Bettini tried to steal the show in the last 10 kms but were caught just under the 1 kms to go flag. The favourites of the race - Jalabert and Pantani - then took over the show for their finale. They were "elbow to elbow" on the sharp incline. Jalabert waiting until Paolo Savoldelli was unable to drive the pace anymore, some 450 meters from the end. He then came of his wheel and appeared to be headed for an easy victory despite another Italian Gilberto Simoni (3rd for the second in consecutive days) trying hard too. But the tough little Pantani sprinted like nothing else and almost took the stage from Jalabert.
Pantani joked later: "I may become a sprinter yet." The Italian press are now seeing Pantani as a favourite for the World Championships in October, given his new found sprinting prowess!
It was Jalabert's third stage win in this Giro.