Garate works for win

Spain's Juan Manuel Garate publicly thanked breakaway companion Jens Voigt of Germany for letting him win the 19th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Friday.

Voigt did not work during the 153-km breakaway that characterised the 221-km mountain stage to the top of the Passo di San Pellegrino because he rides for the same team as overall race leader Ivan Basso and so sportingly waved Garate ahead in the final 200 metres and accepted second place.

"I'll never forget what Voigt did for me and one day I'll pay him back," Garate told reporters.

"He saw the great work I and my Quick Step team mates did early in the stage and sat behind us in the break. Near the finish he told me he didn't deserve to win and said he wasn't going to sprint to the line.

"What he did proves he is a great champion and great person and his gesture showed the nice side of our sport."

Voigt has won 43 races during his 10-year career but gracefully accepted second place.

"I didn't deserve to win because I sat behind the other riders during the stage and didn't do my share of the work," he said.

"I know I missed out on a prestigious victory but I'm happy that Garate won. He deserved it."

Garate, whose wife is pregnant with their first child, rubbed his stomach, as if caressing a baby, when he crossed the finishing line.

Race leader Basso also celebrated fatherhood on Friday after his wife gave birth to their second child in Milan before the start of the stage. Basso, who wore a special blue ribbon on his race leader's jersey, finished eighth on the stage, 2:15 adrift.

"It was a very emotional day for me and obviously cycling comes second in moments like these. The birth of my son was much more important than the stage of the Giro," he told reporters.

Basso now leads Spain's Jose Gutierrez of the Phonak team by 6:07 with Italy's Gilberto Simoni third at 10:34.

The 28-year-old Team CSC rider faces one more mountain stage on Saturday and the final flat stage to Milan on Sunday before being crowned winner of the 2006 Giro.

Saturday's 211-km 20th stage is from Trento to Aprica and includes the Passo di Gavia and the Passo del Mortirolo.