1. Various Items
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   * Miguel Indurain will ride a 3.2 mile time trial around the Kremlin in
Moscow on Saturday. Other slated participants include Lance Armstrong of
the United States, Frenchman Richard Virenque, Italian Claudio Chiappucci
and Russian Vyacheslav Ekimov.

+===+===+

   * The president of the International Cycling Union (UCI) was quoted on
Tuesday, 25 July 95, as saying it would be "ridiculous" to force riders to
wear crash helmets at all times during races.
     "We have spoken a great deal about the tragedy of Fabio Casartelli and
the problems of helmets," the Gazzetta dello Sport quoted Hein Verbruggen
as telling reporters at the world junior cycling championships in Forli. We
have been debating this subject (the use of helmets) for four years and
unfortunately we still have not found a solution," he said.
     "Even on this occasion, the UCI has decided not to change its
position: forcing athletes to wear a helmet would be ridiculous in certain
situations."
     Verbruggen said the UCI would continue to examine the use of helmets
in races but that in the meantime "it is important that racers become more
aware of how important helmets can be in protecting them from injury."

+===+===+

   Britain's Malcolm Elliott has won the Southern California Classic at
Manhattan Beach, leading a one-two for the Chevrolet-LA Sheriff squad ahead
of his American team-mate Trent Klasna.

+===+===+

   * South Australian juniors Luke Roberts and Matthew Meaney have won gold
and silver medals in the 3000 meter individual pursuit at the world junior
cycling championships in San Marino.
   At last year's world juniors in Quito, Ecuador, the Australians won
three gold and two bronze medals. At present, Australia has three golds, a
silver and a bronze and appears on track to remain the No.1 junior cycling
nation.

+===+===+

   * Adoring fans welcomed Miguel Indurain's return to northern Spain on
Monday night. Nearly a thousand well-wishers turned Indurain's name into a
song that didn't stop until the normally shy cyclist addressed the crowd.
He arrived in Pamplona to cheers, church bells and fireworks. He first
dedicated a yellow jersey to the city in a ceremony in the palace of
government. Indurain then drove to his birthplace, Villava, a few
kilometers outside Pamplona and dedicated another yellow jersey to the
town's patron saint, the Virgin of the Rosary. He presented a third jersey
to the townspeople and invited them to come back next year to celebrate the
1996 Tour.
   "For me it's been a tough Tour de France but also a moving one. I'll try
to prepare with all my strength to be right here next year," Indurain said
after accepting honors from the mayor and regional officials.

   "...Today we can call him King Miguel of Navarre," said regional premier
Juan Cruz Alli.

+===+===+

   * Regarding current competitors: "Everyone has improved in time trials,
both in terms of preparation and equipment," said Indurain. The level is
much higher now. Tony Rominger is world one-hour record holder but he was
clearly beaten twice in the time trials."

   * Regarding the Tour's fatal accident: "It was a terrible shock," said
Indurain. "We lost a colleague and everyone was extremely upset. After
that, things weren't the same any more. The atmosphere was different in the
peloton. We couldn't laugh and joke as before."

   * And regarding Jalabert: "He's the rider of the future," Indurain commented.


ACHT VAN CHAAM

George Hincapie (Motorola) won today's (July 26) 153km Acht Van Chaam race
in the Netherlands, outsprinting Thomas Fleischer (Collstrop) and Dutch
national champion Servais Knaven (TVM).

_______________________________________________________________

CALLAC CRITERIUM

The second of the major post-Tour French criteriums was run off at Callac
yesterday afternoon (25 July 95). Callac is customarily taken as an
indication of the popularity of the Tour -- this year it attracted an
audience of 20,000. The result:

  1. Laurent Madouas (Castorama)

  2. Laurent Jalabert (Once)      +19 secs
  3. Virenque (Festina)
  4. Rous (Gan)
  5. Bernard (Chazal)            all same time

  6. Tchmil (Lotto)             +1.12
  7. Capelle (Gan)
  8. Nicolas Jalabert (Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne)
  9. Bresset (amateur)
 10. Salmon (amateur)             s.t.

Today the circus moves on to Camors.....

__________________________________________________

MORE ON NEXT YEAR'S TOUR

In a further interview Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc said, among other
things:

"We are not going to suppress the time trial. That would be an attack
against Monsieur Indurain, and that's not acceptable. We are not going to
add extra cols. Our idea is bonifications at the summits of the big cols.
If we'd awarded 30 secs boni to the first to pass a big col, the escape of
Zulle towards La Plagne would have enabled him to get a bit closer to
Indurain. We are going to work on simulations. The UCI regulations don't
allow such bonifications at the moment so we'd see if it is possible to get
a derogation. If it's OK the new feature will be announced in October [at
the Tour presentation on 17 October]. Next year one of the two time trials
will be a mountain one, but I'm not sure this will bring extra panache. The
one in 1994 didn't change much."

Leblanc also said that there will "definitely" be 22 teams in next year's Tour.

RACE: 8 of Chaam
****************

George Hincapie opened up his 1995 account yesterday with his first win of
the season in the renowned 8 of Chaam. The race, which takes it's name from
the figure eight course on which it is organised, was run off at a rapid
speed and as usual attracted big crowds.

Hincapie escaped the pack near the end with German Thomas Fleicher. In the
final sprint the 22 year old American easily took the victory. Max Van
Heeswijk took second place in the sprint behind the two leaders to take
fourth place.

Lance Armstrong racing for the first time after the Tour de France finished
in the main pack. The Motorola team lines up on two fronts this weekend in
Moscow and Minneapolis. The Society Tour de France have organized a Masters
Criterium on Saturday which uses a three mile circuit based around the
Kremlin and Red Square.

Many Tour de France riders will take part, including Miguel Indurain,
Claudio Chiappucci and Lance Armstrong. The other riders, including Andreu
and Peron will take part in the Norwest Cup on Sunday on the other side of
the Atlantic.