Rujano wins 19th stage, Savoldelli keeps lead

Jose Rujano of Venezuela won the 19th stage of the Giro d'Italia from Savigliano to Sestriere yesterday as Italy's Paolo Savoldelli retained the race lead.

The Selle Italia rider was part of an attack that formed on the difficult 18.5-km Colle delle Finestre climb and went clear on the final climb to the finish.

Italy's Gilberto Simoni was second 26 seconds behind and compatriot Danilo Di Luca was third at 1:37.

Savoldelli finished seventh, 1:55 behind Rujano, and was 1:29 behind Simoni but kept his overall race lead.

He now leads Simoni by 28 seconds, with Rujano third at 45 seconds.

Savoldelli is favourite to win the Giro when the three-week race ends with a 119-km flat final stage to Milan today.

Turkey's Olympic weightlifting champion Halil Mutlu, dubbed the "Little Dynamo" by the national press, has rejected charges that he had taken drugs. Mutlu, who has won three Olympic gold medals for Turkey, has been accused of doping after "nandrolone" - an anabolic steroid - was detected in his urine after the European weightlifting championships in Bulgaria last month. The diminutive, Bulgarian-born Mutlu said he would never resort to doping, adding that he believed he was the victim of a conspiracy.