News for July 4, 1997

Riis

By beating the Spaniard 12 months ago, the 33-year-old Dane pushed Indurain into retirement and opened a new era.

The only certain fact ahead of the 3,870-km, three-week race, which seems to be designed for climbers this year, is that it will start from Rouen next weekend without Indurain for the first time in a decade.

As no clear successor has emerged to the only rider to have won five Tours in succession, Riis again looks the safest bet.

Ten months ago, when the race itinerary was disclosed, it was thought that with its 15 first-category mountain passes and less emphasis on time trials, the 1997 Tour would favour mountaineers.

Recent Tour history confirmed the impression since the race has seemed to crown pure climbers -- Lucien Van Impe in 1976, Pedro Delgado in 1987 -- every 10 years or so.

But the best two mountain specialists in the bunch have had their problems recently.

Italian Marco Pantani crashed in the Giro d'Italia and the most gifted climber in the world may not have fully recovered when those left from the 198 starters reach the Pyrenees on Bastille Day.

King of the mountains from 1994 to 1996, Frenchman Richard Virenque, who was third last year, had his preparation hampered by dental surgery in May.

Giro winner Ivan Gotti is the other climber with a real chance but he may be tired after his Italian campaign.

All-rounders Alex Zuelle of Switzerland and Abraham Olano of Spain have long been named Indurain's likeliest successors.

But Zuelle, like Pantani, has had his promising career halted often by crashes and the gifted Swiss, who has fallen twice this season, will start the Tour with an injured collarbone.

Olano, the world champion in 1995, finished on the podium of the 1995 Vuelta and last year's Giro but he fell last month in the Dauphine Libere race.

French hopes will rest with Virenque, Laurent Jalabert and Luc Leblanc, both highly-talented riders who may lack the little extra something that makes Tour winners.

Briton Chris Boardman, arguably the best track rider on earth, is in the same position. Hardly anyone expects him to be consistent enough over three weeks.

Only Riis seems to combine the strength, experience and talent to master this extremely hard Tour, especially in a gruelling second week featuring all mountain stages plus a tough 55-km individual time trial in St Etienne.

The main opposition to the Dane may come from his own ranks. Young German Jan Ullrich, second last year, made it clear that he would not miss his chance if he were in a position to beat his team leader in the 63-km individual time trial staged around Paris Disneyland on the penultimate day.

Boardman

Victory and the yellow jersey of Tour leader on the first day was more than anyone expected. Since then, the Tour has been less than anyone expected from the Briton who decreed it his life's ambition.

World titles and records come and go for Boardman, but at 29 the Tour remains paramount, so his bone-breaking crash minutes into his second Tour in 1995 only heightened the anticipation for last year.

Then an intestinal bug turned ambition into survival through the Alps and the Pyrenees as for the first time he went the full distance to Paris to finish 39th in 1996.

In the run-up to his fourth Tour he is in torment, some of it self-inflicted.

``I have never concentrated my energies so much on one thing, so when the Tour comes closer it makes me even more nervy. Have I done everything possible, and have I done it correctly?

``I am always looking for faults, and I have been hyper- sensitive to any slightest physical problem or change. With all the preparation behind me, the only thing I can do this week is damage,'' he said.

``I am looking at details about my intestinal problem when I should ignore it and just get on with the job.

``I have never worked so hard as I have this year, and I am in good shape. I have taken a lot of gambles which have created a high-pressure situation, because I asked 'give me time for that and let me do it this way'.''

But confidence is seeping through. Boardman's time-trial talents alone are not enough to win a Tour, so he has concentrated on strengthening his mind and body for the mountains with mixed results.

``I have days when I can climb with the best, and I am self-confident enough to say that I can do it. The big problem is being able to do it day after day,'' he said.

``If everything goes well and I don't have those spectacularly bad days then a final placing in the top 10 is more than feasible. It is likely.''

Alarm spread last week when Boardman lost the overall lead in the Tour of Catalonia after falling seven minutes behind in the mountains.

``It was more tactical than physical, and nowhere near as bad as it looked,'' he said.

A Spanish team had forced the pace to shake out Boardman who mistakenly believed the race was about to start a mountain climb.

``I was riding at my pace, so that I could limit any losses on the climb, but I should have pushed myself harder to stay with the group.

``Instead I was alone and chasing seven riders who were working hard. Then I realised that I had blown it.''

Boardman will rate among the favourites for Saturday's curtain-raising time trial on the streets of Rouen. But he has a bigger objective, the mountain time trial at St Etienne on July 18.

``This is a potential stage win for me. Effectively it finishes at the 40th of its 55 kms, because the remaining 15 kms are a twisting descent to the finish.''

Boardman and his teammates need results from this Tour. They are 'in the shop window' as GAN, the French insurance group, are ending their sponsorship of the team.

Manager Roger Legeay has until September 1 to find new backers or watch his team break up as offers come from other squads.

``After that date we are free to talk with other teams, and several have already contacted me,'' Boardman said. ``I have given my word that I will stay with Legeay if he finds a good sponsor.

``I am loath to stop working with our riders. We are the happiest team in France, and that is very important.

``However a new structure might bring new impetus and new objectives. We need a top rider who could guide us, because we have not got the tactical experience.

``Our Tour tactics will be based on my strengths and weaknesses, and the rest of the team's form. After 10 days our mental state is critical.

``I have taken some risks changing my programme for this Tour's build-up. We will know soon enough if I got it right.''

Hinault

But there are few signs that a home rider will emulate the two five-times winners on July 25 when the world's top cycling race reaches Paris, home of Laurent Fignon, who won it in 1983 and 1984.

Hinault's final victory in 1985 remains the last by a Frenchman.

The three riders who have been named as the likeliest to restore some national pride on French roads will be at the start on Saturday.

But for various reasons it seems that France's quest for a 22nd French winner may not end this year.

Laurent Jalabert has already achieved much and he can claim to be the most gifted rider France has had since Hinault and Fignon.

The 28-year-old from south-western France, who scared the whole country with an horrific crash in a sprint finish three years ago, has since become cycling's world number one.

With three victories in the Paris-Nice race, a Tour of Spain win in 1995 and successes in most classics, Jalabert possesses, with Switzerland's Tony Rominger and Belgium's Johan Museeuw, the best record among active riders.

But since finishing fourth in the 1995 Tour, the Frenchman, who also took the green jersey in 1992, has been far less impressive.

Despite winning Paris-Nice and the Fleche Wallonne this year, he has almost disappeared from sight for the past two months, perhaps to avoid pressure.

Luc Leblanc has also achieved a lot since he first wore the yellow jersey for one day in 1991. He became world champion in 1994 in Sicily but has since seen his career hampered by injuries and the collapse of his Le Groupement team.

The moody rider from central France recovered last season by attacking as much as he could in the mountains and by winning one of the most demanding stages of the 1996 Tour in Val d'Isere.

In this year's Giro d'Italia, Leblanc was in contention for overall victory when he fell, hit a wall and was forced out of the race.

Richard Virenque is the other obvious tip for a first French win in 14 years. The king of the mountains for the past three seasons, he last year became the first Frenchman to finish on the podium since Fignon in 1989.

He looked poised to do even better this year especially as the mountain stages should be even more crucial than ever in this Tour.

But Virenque has given away little so far this season and has dropped out of the pack on every climb he has had to tackle since he underwent dental surgery in May. He finished seventh in the French championship last week.

In 1983, Fignon was virtually unknown when he won the Tour at his first attempt.

Stephane Heulot, who had to give up last year with the yellow jersey on his back, and surprise Tour of Switzerland winner Christophe Agnolutto are among the main outsiders while Frederic Moncassin will try to win the points standings.