News for April 4, 1997

Leontien makes successful comeback

Roger has a photo of Van Moorsel at the height of her powers in 1991 attacking on the climb in the Stuttgart Worlds. Go to Roger's Site if you want to see it.

More on Ireland's Tour start

Irish Tourism Minister Enda Kenny will sign the contract with Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc in Dublin Castle here on Thursday.

The announcement was hailed by a spokesman for one of the main players in winning the right to host the Tour, the Dublin International Sports Council (DISC), who's patron is Heinz chairman and former Irish and British Lion rugby legend Dr Tony O'Reilly, as being a huge boost for Ireland's international image at hosting big events.

"It is easily the most important event that will have come to Ireland and it will do our image so much good, particularly when we lobby for other major occasions," the spokesman said.

Kenny, a member of the governing coalition, had to beg borrow and plead with other governmental departments for the 2 million Irish pounds (3 million dollars) that hosting the stages will cost.

Eventually the Ministers for Agriculture, Sport and Environment clubbed together to come up with the money -- it is likely that the stages will travel through their constituencies.

The originators of the idea to bring the Tour to Ireland were Pat McQuaid, a former Irish professional cyclist, and his English business partner Alan Rushton -- they had organised two Tour de France stages in England in 1994 and currently organise the Tour of the Phillippines.

McQuade raised the matter with the DISC Council in 1993 and suggested lobbying the government and the Tour organisers to bring the Tour to Ireland.

The crucial meeting came when Leblanc came to a dinner at Kilmainham Castle in Dublin to award Ireland's world class cyclists Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche medals -- and came away impressed with the enthusiasm for the project.

The Tour will visit both of their birthplaces, the prologue on July 12 will take place in Roche's hometown Dublin, followed by a Dublin to Dublin first stage taking in the Wicklow Mountains and the picturesque Sally Gap with the second stage from Wexford to Cork, including a sweep through Carrick on Suir, Kelly's home.

"This is a wonderful achievement. It's the first time the start of the race has been off the European mainland," Kelly said.

"It is unbelievable to think they have got it over here. As a sports event the Tour is huge, and has to be seen to be believed," he added.

Roche, the only cyclist to win the Tour de France, Tour of Italy and the World championship in the same year, played a part in the lobbying and it led to Leblanc agreeing that they could stage it if they came up with the funds.

Thanks to two years of hard work by McQuaid, DISC and Kenny the money was found and the last hitch of a ferry company being able to transport the cyclists and their equipment was solved when Stena stepped in promising that they could do the job.

The announcement over the Tour de France will mean Ireland hosting over a period of six weeks the Tour, the Tall ships arriving in Dublin and the World Equestrian Games.

DISC, whose main objective is to bring the Olympic Games to Ireland, have also been instrumental in bringing the owners of Premiership side Wimbledon together with an Irish consortium with a view to bringing the London team over to play permanently in Ireland.

Rushton paid tribute to DISC's effectiveness in helping to bring the Tour to Ireland.

"If it were not for their stamina, positive attitude and enthusiasm we would have thrown in the towel during three years of hard negotiations. It sends a message to a lot of other cities that to host a major event it is imperative you have an organisation such as DISC in place who can lobby so effectively," Rushton said.