A Travers Lausanne, NE

Switzerland, August 4, 1998


Past Winners

Brief:

The race across Lausanne involved 2 separate time trials each of 6.85 kms with a difference in altitude of 265 metres. Tour winner, Marco Pantani was in great form. The Festina riders who have confessed to have been riding assisted by drugs figured in the top 10. Pantani's average time for the two runs was 33.829 km/h.

My question: If they have been using drugs as they admit why are they still riding against others who have to be assumed to be clean until otherwise proven?

Well, it seems that the Swiss crowd who attended the race do not agree with me. While Marco Pantani ripped the course apart with Olympic Champion Pascal Richard and Bobby Julich in his wake, the spectators were there to cheer the Festina riders and give them a "huge and warm welcome back to the scene" reception.

They were all along the 6.85 kms route and the name of Dufaux, the winner of this race last year, was painted on the road a number of times in large letters. At the starting place, the riders were asked for autographs and received lots of attention.

Confessed drug cheat Alex Zulle said to the press at the finish: "I'm relieved, because I know now the public is behind me."

The President of the local organising Committee for the Lausanne Municipality, Bernard Métraux was happy with the public reaction to the cycling. Laurent Dufaux's manager, Marc Biver said it was good to return to the "grand family of cycling".

The locals discussed the drugs scandal, but one specator when asked whether this changed their view of the racing said: "They use drugs but they remain champions!" Hard to cope with that logic.

Lausanne, ITT, 2 times 6.85 kms:

 1. Marco Pantani (Ita) Mercatone Uno                  24.37  (12.28, 12.09)
 2. Bobby Julich (USA) Cofidis                   	1.24
 3. Pascal Richard (Swi) Casino                  	1.40
 4. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Festina                 	1.53
 5. Roland Meier (Swi) Cofidis                   	1.58
 6. Cadel Evans (Aus) MTB, Volvo Canondale       	2.13
 7. Niki Aebersold (Swi) Post                    	2.15
 8. Daniel Atienza (Spa) Team Polti              	2.25
 9. Fabiano Fontanelli (Ita) Mercatone Uno      	2.34
10. Kevin Livingston (USA) Cofidis               	2.36
11. Alex Zuelle (Swi) Festina                    	2.48
12. Markus Zberg (Swi) Post Swiss Team           	2.52
13. Beat Zberg (Swi) Rabobank                    	2.56
14. Christian Charriere (Swi) Riso Scotti        	3.25
15. Daniel Von Flue (Swi) Ericsson-Villiger      	3.29
16. Ivan Gotti (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale            	3.33
17. Armin Meier (Swi) Festina                    	3.52
18. Roland Müller (Swi) Ericsson-Villiger        	3.55
19. Lukas Zumsteg (Swi) Ericsson-Villiger        	4.01
20. Bruno Boscardin (Swi) Festina                	4.05
21. Urs Graf (Swi) Ericsson-Villiger             	4.12
22. Rolf Huser (Swi) Post Swiss Team             	4.50
23. Josef Christen (Swi) Ericsson-Villiger       	5.28
24. Rolf Jaermann (Swi) Casino                   	5.29
Complete results from Theo Muller in Switzerland and Mario Stiehl in Berlin

Past Winners

1940	Ferdinand Kübler (Swi)		11.16
1941	Ferdinand Kübler (Swi)		11.20
1942	Ferdinand Kübler (Swi)		11.43
1943	Hans Knecht (Swi)		12.10
1944	Ferdinand Kübler (Swi)		12.00
1945	Ferdinand Kübler (Swi)		11.21
1946	Fermo Camellini (Fra)		11.26
1947	Fausto Coppi (Ita)		11.28
1948	Jean Robic (Fra)		12.02
1949	Fritz Schaer (Swi)		12.30
..
1967	Raymond Poulidor (Fra)		13.08
1968	Eddy Merckx (Bel)		22.27
1969	Herman Van Springel (Bel)	22.58
1970	Eddy Merckx (Bel)		22.50
1971	Luis Ocana (SPA)		22.59
1972	Eddy Merckx (Bel)		22.10
1973	Eddy Merckx (Bel)		23.22
1974	Giuseppe Perletto (Ita)		23.10
1975	Joop Zoetemelk (Ned)		23.45
1976	Joop Zoetemelk (Ned)		22.14
1977	Joop Zoetemelk (Ned)		23.43
1978	Joop Zoetemelk (Ned)		22.09
1979	Joop Zoetemelk (Ned)		22.51
1980	Gody Schmutz (Swi)		23.11
..
1996	Tony Rominger (Swi)		31.05
1997	Laurent Dufaux (Swi)		24.47
Past winners from Mario Stiehl, Berlin