Lombardi abandons Tour

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2006

PLA DE BERET, Spain (AFP) — Italian Giovanni Lombardi has pulled out of the Tour de France during the 11th stage.

Lombardi, who rides for the Danish CSC team, began suffering early on the second of two days in the Pyrenees mountains.

The Italian veteran was left trailing by the pace of the peloton on the first big climb of the stage, the unclassified Col du Tourmalet, and got off his bike nine kilometres before the summit.

The 206.5km 11th stage of the race features five climbs and a total of 61.9km of riding uphill.

It means CSC have now lost three of their nine-man team.

Team leader Ivan Basso was suspended because of his implication in an ongoing doping scandal a day before the prologue, and American Bobby Julich was injured during the time trial last week.

© 2006 AFP