Guerini outwits rivals for stage glory
The T-Mobile rider was part of a four-man group including Oscar Pereiro, Franco Pellizotti and Sandy Casar which broke clear of the peloton after 30km and never looked back.
The group could not be separated until one kilometre from the finish when Guerini burst clear in a decisive surge for the line and sealed his first stage win of this year's Tour.
Lance Armstrong appeared content to sit in the peloton throughout the race, safe in the knowledge that barring a dramatic turnaround, he will take a record seventh Tour win in Paris tomorrow.
The American retains the yellow jersey with an overall time of 81h 22min 19secs, 2min 46secs ahead of second-placed Ivan Basso.
But the day belonged to an understandably delighted Guerini, who sealed his first victory on any stage of the Tour since 1996.
"Realistically today was the last chance for me to win on this Tour so I wanted to give it a go.
"I was looking for the right time to make the move and go for the win and I got it right."
At just over 153km, yesterday's was the shortest road stage of this year's Tour and the riders seemed eager to make quick work of it in a frantic opening.
Several riders launched attacks in the early stages but were repeatedly caught by the peloton.
However, after the 30km mark, Pereiro, Pellizotti, Guerini and Casar broke clear in what proved to be the decisive move.
Spaniard Pereiro, winner in Pau on the 16th stage, forced his way in front to take the intermediate sprint at the 55.5km mark, with Pellizotti second and Guerini still very much in touch in third.
Pereiro was still in charge when the quartet reached the Col de Pradeaux summit after 68km, Italian Pellizotti again second and Guerini third.
By this stage, the group had carved out a 1min 20sec lead on the peloton, and despite sporadic charges from the pack, the winner always looked likely to come from the leading pocket of riders.
The points for the last climb at Cote de Malaveille again went to Pereiro, riding for the Phonak Hearing Systems team but as the finish approached, it was Guerini who emerged from the shadows to strike for home.
He finished ahead of second-placed Frenchman Casar with Pellizotti in third and Pereiro fourth.
Despite holding a sizeable advantage over his rivals, Armstrong still has not won a stage this year meaning that if, as expected, he secures his seventh title tomorrow, he would match his 2000 feat of winning the event without celebrating a single road win.
The Texan is one of only three riders to do so after Frenchman Lucien Aimar in 1966 and countryman Greg Lemond in 1990.
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