News for July 24

Boardman May Try For Hour Record Again

There is a good chance that GAN rider Chris Boardman will attempt to recapture the world hour record next month. Boardman, who held the record for several months in 1993 and 1994 with a distance of 52.270km will have to make the jump past Tony Rominger's 55.291 to achieve his objective. If Boardman adjudges himself not too weakemed by his Tour de France ride, he will undertake special preparation with his trainer Peter Keen on the Manchester track, with a record attempt projected for the second week of August.

GAN directeur sportif Roger Legeay says Boardman undertook secret speed tests before the Tour de France during which rode at more than 55kph for 20 minutes. The venue for the record attempt has not yet been disclosed. I'd guess either Bordeaux again, or more likely Manchester.

Post-Tour Criteriums

Travellers in France might find the following list of major-post Tour criteriums useful. They are a good chance to get near some of the stars. The series starts, as usual, at Lisieux tonight (July 22), followed by Callac (July 23), Camors (July 24), Dijon (July 25), Cherbourg (July 26), Monein (July 27), Montmarault (August 4), Chateau-Chinon (August 5), Castillon-la-Bataille (August 6), Colmar (August 7), Nimes (August 8), Dun-le-Palestel (August 10), Saint-Martin-de-Landelles and Plelan-le-Grand (August 11), Lamballe (August 12), Quillan (August 15), Hyeres and Vayrac (August 18), Cahteauroux (August 25), Chateaulin (August 26), Decazeville (August 30), Bordeaux (September 3), Vienne (September 6), Leves 9september 7), Chauvigny (August 8), Bannalec (September 9).

Tour Start in Dublin in 1998 Makes Progress/Plans for 2000

A start of the Tour de France in Dublin in 1998 took a further step towards fruition when Stephen Roche welcomed the promoters of the project to Bordeaux during the Tour. They hope to finalize their arrangements with the Societe du Tour de France before October 25, when the 1997 race route will be presented in Paris.

Jean-Marie Leblanc hopes that the final stage of the 2000 Tour de France can take the form of a long-circuit criterium that would take in all the quarters of Paris before finishing as usual on the Champs Elysees.

More Alcohol On The Tour

The Tour de France riders were each presented with a bottle of Saint-Emilion to commemorate their visit to the town. The stage winners at Bordeaux (Frederic Moncassin) and Saint-Emilion (Jan Ullrich) did even better -- 60 litres (80 bottles) of fine wine each from the local Trade association.