News for August 26
More on Miguel and the Tour of Spain
MIGUEL INDURAIN is plainly an unwilling participant in the Vuelta a
Espana, riding it under pressure from the management of Banesto, the
bank that sponsors his team. "I don't think I'm mentally ready to ride
a second big Tour," he said on Spanish TV on Auigust 21. " I left a
lot of 'juice' and energy in the least Tour de France. Much more than
people think. And I'd planned to take a vacation at the time the
Vuelta is running. But the interests of the team are paramount and I
must ride the Vuelta." Indurain then moved up a gear, sounding more
optimistic about the Spanish tour: "I think I'm capable of assuming
the role of team leader and race favourite. I'll give all I've got.
However, I fear that I lack a spark. The Vuelta stages are often far
less difficult than those of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia.
And for me to do very well I need four or five cols in the same day."
Before the Vuelta Indurain is to ride tomorrow's Championship of
Zurich and two races in Italy as a gesture towards Giovanni
Pinarello,who supplies Banesto's bikes -- the Giro del Veneto (Cat
1.1. -- August 31) and the Trofeo Melinda Val di Non (Cat 1.3 --
Spetember 1). After the Vuelta Indurain is still committed to the
world championships in Lugano, definitely in the time trial and
probably in the road race as well. And 1997? "How I do in the Vuelta
won't affect my decision. If I keep on riding it will be with the idea
of winning a sixth Tour de France."
Heulot leaves Gan
French national champion and 1996 Tour yellow jersey winner STEPHANE
HEULOT is to leave GAN at the end of the season, having signed a
three-year contract with Marc Madiot's new Francaise des Jeux team. In
his last major race for GAN, Heulot, 25, is to ride the Tour de
l'Avenir (September 3-14) a race reserved for riders under 26.
Despite an earlier listing of a team for the Vuelta a Espana, GAN has
now withdrawn from that race.
More on Saugrain
Aubervilliers 93-Peugeot rider CYRIL SAUGRAIN, who won the lac de
Madine stage of the 1996 Tour, is the latest signing for Cyrille
Guimard's Cofidis team. Saugrain has signed a two-year contract with
the new team, with which LANCE ARMSTRONG's name has been astrongly
associated.
Tour de L'Avenir
Twenty-two teams are to take part in the TOUR DE L'AVENIR, which
starts on September 3 at Benodet in the Finistere departement of
Brittany and finishes in the Alps at Morzine-Avoriaz in the Alps.
Entered are 10 national teams (Australia, Canada, Colombia, France,
Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and Ukraine),
five first-division teams (Festina, GAN, Kelme-Artiach, ONCE,
Rabobank), seven second-division teams (Aubervilliers 93-Peugeot,
Collstrop, Euskadi, Lada CSKA Samara, La Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne,
PMU Romand, Vlaanderen 2002) and three French Division Nationale 1
clubs (Vendee U, La Poste and US Creteil).
Richard heads west
Pascal Richard will "in all probability" leave MG-Technogym to join the Team "La Française des Jeux" of Marc Madiot.
Obree out of World Track Titles
UK newspaper The Guardian reported today (August 24) that after two
weeks of practice using a new Obree-type "superman" position, Chris
Boardman has announced that he will attempt to recapture the world
hour record next month on the Manchester velodrome. Other reports
indicate that although Boardman finds the new position uncomfortable
he cannot forgo the aerodynamic advantages of it and will use it in
the world championship pursuit competition, which begins next
Wednesday, also in Manchester. Boardman is talking of 4.16 times in
the 4,000m pursuit, some three seconds faster than the new world
record (4.19.153) set by Andrea Collinelli in Atlanta. Graeme Obree
has had to pull out of the world championship pursuits because of
continuing problems with a viral infection.