35th Tour de l'Avenir, Cat 2.5

France, September 3-12, 1998


1997 Results     Past Winners     Complete Starting List

The Stages:

Prologue - Argentre-du-Plessis, 8 kms:
Stage 1 - Argentre-du-Plessis - Vimoutiers, 189.5 kms:
Stage 2 - Vimoutiers - Bonneval, 162.5 kms:
Stage 3 - Bonneval - Salbris, 156 kms:
Stage 4 - Salbris - Chateau-Chinon, 209 kms:
Stage 5 - Chateau-Chinon - Pontarlier, 219.5 kms:
Stage 6 - Malbuisson - Pontarlier, ITT 28 kms:
Stage 7 - Bellegarde-Sur-Valserine - Chambery, 172.5 kms:
Stage 8 - Chambery - St.-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, 177 kms:
Stage 9 - La Terrasse - Courchevel, 149 kms:

Brief:

Christophe Rinero (Cofidis), who thrilled the public this northern summer during the Tour de France, will be the big favourite for the 35th Tour de l'Avenir which starts Thursday at Argentré-du-Plessis (Ille-et-Vilaine) and finishes on September 12 at Courchevel (Savoie). The Mountain's Jersey winner from the Tour has to contend with the Swede Magnus Backstedt (Crédit Agricole), who won a stage in the Tour in July.

Other riders with a chance are Damien Nazon (La Française des Jeux), Glen D'Hollander (Vlaanderen-2002-Eddy Merckx), Stéphane Bergès (BigMat-Auber) and also Steve Boyer (Mercury Cycling Team).

20 teams of 6 riders, who have to be under 25 years, will start in this international race over 9 stages, organised by the Société du Tour de France. The race is designed to allow the younger riders to experience the difficulties of a longer stage race. Last year Laurent Roux (TVM), in addition to Emmanuel Magnien, the Spaniard David Etxebarria, and also Charly Mottet (in 1984) and American Greg Lemond (1982) are among those who have won this race.

The Tour L'Avenir however is paying for the drug scandal which burst open during the Tour de France in July. The Spanish teams, ONCE or Banesto will not start. The only Spanish team that will ride of the 3 that entered originally is Euskaltel-Euskadi. They were not at the Tour.

ONCE have said they will not ride in any races in France until they have guarantees that they will not be searched by police. Banesto claim that they haven't races in France since the Tour because they do not have a team ready. The manager Unzué said: "We don't go because we don't have a team available. Two of our young riders, Mancebo and Unai Osa, are injured and the pther three have just finished la Vuelta a Portugal. We haven't raced in France, but there isn't a boycott. For instance. to go to Belgium to race the GP Eddy Merckx, we had to pass by there."

The competing teams are:

Crédit agricole (Fra), Cofidis (Fra), La Française des Jeux (Fra), BigMat-Auber (Fra), Banesto (Esp), Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spa), Post Swiss (Swi), Vlaanderen-2002-Eddy Mercks (Bel), Amore e Vita (Ita), Die Continentale-Olympia (Ger), Mercury Cycling Team (USA).

National and Regional teams: France, Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Ukraine, Bretagne. And Category I amateur teams: CC Etupes, Jean Floc'h Mantes, Vendée U.


Competitors:

Cofidis					BigMat-Auber 93
Manager: Francis Van Londerseele	Manager: Javalet Stéphane

1. Rinero Christophe			11. Berges Stéphane
2. Delbove Jerôme			12. Auger Guillaume
3. Livingston Kevin			13. Da Cruz Carlos
4. Millar David				14. Joukov Oleg (Rus) stagiaire
5. Moreau Gael (Fra) stagiaire		15. Lamouller Loic (Fra) stagiaire
6. Tombak Janek (Est) stagiaire		16. Sweet Jay (Aus)

Post Swiss team				Euskaltel-Euskadi
Manager: Michaud Jacques		Manager:Madariaga Miguel

21. Schnider Daniel			31. Zubeldia Haimar
22. Haymoz Yvan				32. Beloki Joseba
23. Montgomery Sven			33. Bugallo Aïtor
24. Renggli Marcel			34. Del Olmo Txema
25. Vifian Frederic			35. Flores Igor
26. Zucconi Pietro			36. Martinez Alberto

La Française des Jeux			Vlaanderen-2002-Eddy Merckx
Manager: Madiot Yvon			Manager: Claude Vancoillie

41. Bouyer Franck			51. D'Hollander Glenn
42. Casper Jimmy			52. Cretskens Wilfried
43. D'Hont Patrick			53. Hoste Leif
44. Vogondy Nicolas			54. Stremersch Tom
45. Nazon Damien			55. Vermaut Stive
46. Nazon Jean-Patrick			56. Wuyts Peter

France (Elite)				Credit Agricole
Manager: Jean-Yves Plaisance		Manager: Roux Denis

61. Laroche Sébastien			71. Backstedt Magnus
62. Elias Pierre			72. Augé Stéphane (Fra) stagiaire
63. Fritsch Nicolas			73. Gono Marcel
64. Gauthier Christophe			74. Hinault Sébastien
65. Loder Thierry			75. Langella Anthony
66. Luminet Benoit			76. Neuville Jerome (Fra) stagiaire

Bretagne (Elite)			Amore e Vita-Beretta
Manager: Chatelon Pierre-Yves		Manager: Pelliconi Roberto

81. Berthou David			91. Pavi degl'Innocenti Dimitri (Ita) stagiaire
82. Trotel Franck			92. Cannone Marco
83. Guillome Christophe			93. Ferti Michele
84. Le Boulanger Yoann			94. Jones Tim
85. Urien François			95. Puglioli Mirco
86. Vanhée Ludovic			96. Zattoni Gilberto

Mercury Cycling team			Vendée U-Pays de Loire (Elite)
Manager: John Wordin			Manager: Bricaud Thierry

101. Rover Steve (Can) *		111. Mainguenaud Fréderic (Fra)
102. Clinger David  (USA)		112. Berret Gilles (Fra)
103. Dean Julian (NZL)			113. Duff Aidan (Ire)
104. Lechuga Ernesto (USA) stagiaire	114. Pichon Mickaël (Fra)
105. Pelusi Seth (USA) stagiaire	115. Renier Franck (Fra)
106. Walters Mark (Can)			116. Salumets Markus (Est)

Austria (Elite)				CC Etupes-Le Doubs-Pays de l'Ain (Elite)
Manager: Lux Günter			Manager: Douçot Jean. Pierre

121. Buxhofer Mathias			131. Mizurov Andrei (Kaz)
122. DNS				132. Dumont Nicolas (Fra)
123. Mühlbacher Thomas			133. Jeune Raphaël (Fra)
124. Riebenbauer Werner			134. Lelarge Noan (Fra)
125. Riedesser Patrick			135. Prise Cyrille (Fa)
126. Wrolich Peter			136. Turpin Ludovic (Fra)

Belgium (Elite)				Jean Floc'h-Mantes (Elite)
Manager: Van Haerens Arsène		Manager: Jean. François Rault

141. Boxus Renaud			151. Christopher Tim (Aus)
142. Flasse Cédric			152. Desbois Sylvain (Fra)
143. Genicot Olivier			153. Poos Christian (Lux)
144. Lhoir Manu				154. Paumier Laurent (Fra)
145. Laplasse Goswin			155. Poilvet Benoit (Fra)
146. Vrancken Bart			156. Ravaleu Freddy (Fra)

Great Britain (Elite)			Rabobank (Elite)
Manager: Timmis Adrian			Manager: Verhoeven Nico

161. Wegelius Charly			171. Kroon Karsten
162. Barclay Darren			172. De Groot Bram
163. Downing Russell			173. Engels Addy
164. Griffith James			174. Hayman Mathew (Aus)
165. Hobby Richard			175. Pronk Matthé
166. Nott Carwin			176. Van Dyck Stefan

Luxembourg-Germany (Elite)		Ukraine (Elite)
Manager: Baldinger Bernhard		Manager: Shtremer Yevgeniy

181. Becker Max	(Lux)			191. Rotar Oleksandr
182. Hardter Uwe (Ger)			192. Khalilov Mikhail
183. Joachim Benoit (Lux)		193. Nanayenko Vladymir
184. Kirchen Kim (Lux)			194. Krivtsov Yuri
185. Giebelmann Michael (Ger)		195. Pospeyev Kiril
186. Vanacker Marc (Lux)		196. Ruban Oleg

* Steve Rover (101) races with a Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne jersey.
Complete starting list from Daniel Schamps, Paris

Past Winners

The history is divided into four phases. Between 1961 and 1969, the race was known as the Tour de l'Avenir. Then it became the Grand Prix de l'Avenir (Paris-Vierzon-Thiers), then to mark the change in political systems in the East of Europe, the race became the Tour of the European Community (1986-90). It resumed as the Tour de l'Avenir in 1991.
Year   Winner                        Best Team              Distance    Stages 	


Tour de l'Avenir:

1961   De Rosso (Ita)                Spain                   2209 km      14
1962   Gomez Del Moral (Spa)         Netherlands             2120 km      14
1963   Zimmermann (Fra)              Spain                   2060 km      14
1964   Gimondi (Ita)                 Spain                   2021 km      13
1965   Diaz (Spa)                    Spain                   2167 km      12
1966   Denti (Ita)                   Italy                   1955 km      12
1967   Robini (Fra)                  France                  1560 km      10
1968   Boulard (Fra)                 France                  1567 km      12
1969   Zoetemelk (Ned)               Netherlands             1846 km      10

Grand Prix de l'Avenir (Paris-Vierzon-Thiers):

1970   Duchemin (Fra)                France                   779 km       4
1971   Ovion (Fra)                   France                  1638 km      11
1972   Den Hertog (Ned)              Netherlands             1618 km      13
1973   Baronchelli (Ita)             Switzerland             1480 km      11
1974   Martinez (Spa)                Poland                  1296 km      11
1976   Nilsson (Swe)                 Spain                   1017 km       9
1977   Schepers (Bel)                Belgium                 1597 km      12
1978   Soukhoroutchenkov (Rus)       USSR                    1577 km      12
1979   Soukhoroutchenkov (Rus)       USSR                    1643 km      12
1980   Florez (Col)                  USSR                    1629 km      12
1981   Simon (Fra)                   USSR                    1514 km      14
1982   Lemond (USA)                  East Germany            1382 km      11
1983   Ludwig (DDR)                  East Germany            1959 km      15
1984   Mottet (Fra)                  Renault                 1620 km      12
1985   Ramirez (Col)                 Cafe de Colombia        1612 km      13

Tour of the European Community:

1986   Indurain (Spa)                System U                1712 km      14
1987   Madiot (Fra)                  France                  1719 km      12
1988   Fignon (Fra)                  France                  1846 km      12
1989   Lino (Fra)                    RMO                     1440 km       9
1990   Bruyneel (Bel)                Toshiba                 1370 km      10

Tour de l'Avenir:

1992   Garel (Fra)                   RMO                     1528 km      12
1993   Davy (Fra)                    Castorama               1543 km      12
1994   Casero (Spa)                  Banesto                 1591 km      11
1995   Magnien (Fra)                 Castorama               1614 km      11
1996   Etxebarria (Spa)              ONCE                    1858 km      11
1997   Roux (Fra)                    TVM                     1344 km       9
Past winners are from Mario Stiehl, Berlin