CYCLING : WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS : Hands-Off Approach Nearly Costs Italy

Gianni Bugno’s early celebration nearly cost Italy a victory, and Greg LeMond’s weary legs prompted his early finish Sunday on the final day of the World Cycling Championships.

Bugno, 27, of Lombardi, Italy, runner-up in the Tour de France last month, completed the 156.8-mile race in 6 hours 20 minutes 23 seconds on the overcast finale to the 13-day competition.

Along with Spain’s Miguel Indurain, the Tour de France titlist, Colombian Alvaro Mejia and Steven Rooks of Holland, Bugno rode into the lead on the start of final of 16 laps. The four stayed together, precariously holding off a large charging field as the finish line came into view with 500 meters left.

After Mejia dropped off pace, Bugno and the two others jockeyed for position until the Italian surged with about 150 meters left and appeared to have a clear victory. But after clapping his hands and then raising his arms in triumph, Rooks nearly caught Bugno, finishing slightly more than one-wheel length behind. Indurain was third, followed by Mejia. The top four were all given the same finishing time.

LeMond primarily rode near the pack of the main field. At the beginning of the 12th lap, he crashed into a fallen rider with four others consequently also falling.

The two-time world titlist and three-time winner of the Tour de France returned to his bike and began to climb up a hill. Michael Engleman, 33, of Santa Cruz, Calif., waited to support LeMond’s efforts to return to the pack, but LeMond couldn’t respond.

“I tried to climb, but that was that,” LeMond said. “I’m still tired and it hasn’t been long enough for me to recover yet from the Tour de France. But I feel sorry for Mike. I couldn’t even keep up with him after he came back to get me.”