Italians Dominate 13th Stage, Armstrong Maintains Lead

Within seconds of the finish line, Italian national champion Salvatore Commesso sprinted ahead of compatriot Marco Serpellini on Saturday to take the longest leg of the Tour de France.

American star Lance Armstrong held onto the overall leader’s yellow jersey, finishing with the pack about 22 minutes behind the Italians in the 13th stage of the Tour. Since gaining control of the yellow jersey last Sunday with an impressive win in the time trial, the 27-year-old from Austin, Texas, has been in the spotlight at home and abroad--now the top contender for victory in this year’s race.

Diagnosed in 1996 with testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain, Armstrong, riding for the U.S. Postal Service team, leads Spaniard Abraham Olano by 7 minutes 44 seconds in cycling’s signature race.

Saturday’s 147-mile stage from Saint-Flour in the plateaus of the Auvergne to Albi, the birthplace of artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, was the sixth leg on this year’s Tour won by an Italian. Mariano Piccoli, also of Italy, finished third. All three Italians were part of a group that broke away from the pack early in the stage and maintained their lead.

For the third day in a row, the cyclists leading overall seemed content to slow their pedaling and let others take the stage.

Commesso, 24, completed Saturday’s largely uphill leg in 5 hours 52 minutes 45 seconds.

The temperature during the race reached 102 degrees and was even hotter for the riders on the course.

“At first I thought to myself: ‘There’s so long to go. You’re crazy, you’ll never last all the way. It’s impossible,’ ” Commesso said. “But in the end I was helped by the fact that the main contenders weren’t up with us.”

The 2,288-mile race, scheduled to finish July 25 with 11 laps on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, moves from Castres to Saint-Gaudens at the foot of the Pyrenees today. Monday is a rest day.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Tour de France at a Glance

* 13th stage: A 147-mile ride between Saint-Flour and Albi in southern France.

* Winner: Italy’s Salvatore Commesso, riding for Saeco, won in a time of 5 hours 52 minutes 45 seconds.

* Others: The 13th stage had an Italian flavor, with Commesso’s countrymen, Marco Serpellini and Mariano Piccoli, coming in second and third, respectively. Overall leader Lance Armstrong of the United States was 36th.

* Overall: With temperatures soaring, the overall leaders held back and rested for a third consecutive day. Armstrong’s lead of 7:44 remained intact, with Spain’s Abraham Olano in second place.

* Next stage: Castres to Saint-Gaudens, a distance of 123.6 miles, today.