Vuelta a España 1996 - 13 Lagos de Covadonga Jalabert

Vuelta a España 1996 - 13, Oviedo to Lagos de Covadonga, 170 km

1. Laurent Jalabert (France) ONCE 4.01.48
2. Alex Zülle (Switzerland) ONCE s.t.
3. Mauro Gianetti (Switzerland) Polti 0.15
4. Tony Rominger (Switzerland) Mapei 0.25
5. Georg Tostching (Austria) Polti
6. Marcos Serrano (Spain) Kelme
7. Davide Rebellin (Italy) Polti all s.t.
8. Stefano Faustini (Italy) AKI 0.31
9. Laurent Dufaux (Switzerland) Lotus 0.45
10. Daniel Clavero (Spain) MX Onda 1:32
11. Fernando Escartin (Spain) Kelme
12. Axel Merckx (Belgium) Motorola both s.t.
13. Jose Maria Jimenez (Spain) Banesto 1:43
14. Andrea Peron (Italy) Motorola 2:02
15. Roberto Pistore (Italy) MG 2:39
16. Bobby Julich (USA) Motorola
17. Fabian Jeker (Switzerland) Lotus
18. Oliverio Rincon (Columbia) ONCE all s.t.
19. Vladimir Poulnikov (Ukraine) TVM 3:34
20. R.Gonzalez Arrieta (Spain) Banesto s.t.

Retired: Miguel Indurain (Spa)

Overall classification:

1. Alex Zülle (Swi, ONCE) 61.09.23
2. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) + 1:13
3. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) + 5:24
4. Stefano Faustini (Ita) + 6:26
5. Melchor Mauri (Spa) + 6.54
6. Roberto Pistore (Ita) + 6:51
7. Davide Rebellin (Ita) + 7:28
8. Georg Tostching (Aut) + 8:02
9. Tony Rominger (Swi) + 8:41
10. Neil Stephens (Aus) + 8:46

Indurain quits the Tour - the finish is near

Miguel Indurain looks set to finish his career without winning his country's premier race after abandoning the Tour of Spain on Friday.
``These things happen in sport,'' said Indurain after being left behind in the mountains by Laurent Jalabert and Alex Zülle for the second successive day.

Zülle retained his yellow jersey after following team mate Jalabert in for a stage win in which the two ONCE riders left all their rivals trailing in their wake.

Indurain had slowed to talk to the Banesto team doctor on several occasions after beginning to struggle 50 kms from home at the beginning of a tough mountain section.

Left adrift by the principal contenders, former team mate Herminio Diaz Zabala -- who now rides for the rival ONCE team -- tried to help Indurain. He even put his arm around the Banesto rider in a gesture of support.

But Indurain slowed to a leisurely pace and dismounted in front of his team hotel, some 30 kms from the finish line.

Indurain had made his reluctance to race the Vuelta clear after a summer in which he had failed in his bid to take an unprecented sixth successive Tour de France before bouncing back to win the time-trial gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics.

The decision to drop out has prompted further speculation that Indurain will announce his retirement from competition soon.

``It's a sad sight to see a great champion like that,'' said television commentator and former team mate Pedro Delgado after seeing Indurain struggling in the mountains.

Spaniard Indurain, five times a winner of the Tour de France, was dropped by the peloton when Switzerland's Tony Rominger attacked after 111km of the 159km stage.

"I could hardly breathe on the road. I think the cold weather during the time-trial in Avila made it worse. I have had a bad chest for the past couple of days and today's humid conditions made it worse," Indurain said.

His plight was highlighted by the fact that the backmarkers had caught him up. Although he smiled and joked with a few of his teammates, it was clear that he could not keep up with them.

Indurain had originally not been keen to race in the Tour, but he later relented, saying that his team wanted him to race.

Indurain, who has never won the Tour of Spain, denied that his unwillingness to race was a reason for his poor performance.

"I did not start with the idea of abandoning the race, but I have tried my best and it is clear that that is not enough," he said.

This failure -- allied to his disappointing 11th place in the Tour de France -- will once again raise questions about how much longer the 32-year-old Spaniard will continue to race.

It has been suggested in the Spanish press that his Banesto team have lined up his compatriot and world road race champion Abraham Olano as his replacement.

Jalabert, who abandoned during the Tour de France, was allowed by Zülle to cross the line in the lead.

The Frenchman, said he respected Zulle's gesture.

"It is clear that only Zulle or me can win the race and I do not intend to attack unless Alex suffers a reverse. One thing is for sure: that after our terrible Tour de France our ONCE team has bounced back," Jalabert said.