News for April 2, 1997

Ireland gets 1998 Tour de France start

The Tour de France will start from Ireland in 1998, organisers said on Wednesday.

Tour de France boss Jean-Marie Leblanc and Irish Tourism and Trade minister Enda Kenny will sign the official agreement for the start on Thursday in Dublin, they added in a statement.

The start will be unusually late on the July 11-12 weekend to avoid clashing with the 1998 soccer World Cup in France from June 10 to July 12.

The idea of an Irish start cropped up in 1994 when the race went through Britain.

Even though the Tour has started outside France 13 times in the past, it will be the first time it is launched outside the European mainland.

Ireland became a major cycling power in the 1980s thanks to Sean Kelly, Tour of Spain winner in 1988 and one of the greatest classic specialists of all time, and Stephen Roche, the 1987 Tour winner and road world champion.

Van der Poel teaching cycling on TV

Adri Van der Poel is to become a teacher. The 37 year-old veteran cyclist, who last weekend won his first duathlon, will on May 11 begin 6 weeks of cycling lessons for youth on the TV channel Kindernet (Dutch Children network).

In the program, The OuterHouse the 1996 cyclo cross world champion will answer cycling questions from the youth. According to Frank van der Meijden, the professional manager of the Rabobank team, the series will show the youth that cycle racing is interesting. The Rabo team is working with the KNWU on this project. The Dutch Federation is happy with the initiative. It will inject some interest in the organisation" said director Frank Buddels.

Angels Camp MTB to Brentjens

Mountain bikerider Bart Brentjens has won his second race for the season. In the American Angels's Cup he won the cross-country with his teammate Marcel Gerritsen lagging behind in second place. Gert-Jan Theunisse was third. Silvia Furst (Switzerland) was the winner with the women-race.

Brentjens rode this race as a preparation for the first World Cup race in the Napa Valley on the 6th April near to San Francisco. Last month, Brentjens won the Specialized Cactus Cup.

EPO Test

Wim van Sevenant (Vlaanderen-2000) was tested last Friday and had a reported (in newspapers) level of 47.2 although reports earlier had him at 51.2.

Further, the whole Rabobank team (8 riders) were tested on Tuesday too and nobody was above 50 percent.

Neerpelt, Elite without contract

 1. Theus (Ned) 	   112 km in 2.29.00
 2. Echelpoels (Bel)
 3. Van Hoof (Bel) 			0.12
 4. Van Schalen (Ned)
 5. De Schamp (Bel)

Museeuw may miss Tour of Flanders

For reasons not known at this stage, there is a report saying that Johan Museeuw may miss the Ronde van Vlaanderen next Sunday.

Fabio Baldato didn't start in the Driedaagse van De Panne because of influenza. He will not starting in the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Baldato will be back in the peloton with the Tour of the Basque Country.