IVAN GOTTI lost 14 seconds to main rival Pavel Tonkov of Russia in the 18th stage time trial of the Tour of Italy in Cavalese yesterday but retained his overall lead.
The 28 year old Gotti, fifth in the race last year, leads defending champion Tonkov by 37 seconds going into the three mountain stages. Frenchman Luc Leblanc, third overnight, fell and is now over four minutes adrift.
"I would have been killed if I hadn't been wearing a helmet. It's bad enough as it is as I was only 10 seconds down at the time to Tonkov," Leblanc said.
Leblanc, the 1994 world champion, sustained no bad injuries but was badly bruised and cut.
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Sergei Gontchar of Ukraine won the stage giving the non Italian racers only their sixth win of the Tour.
