Prologue - 7.3 kms

Notes: Luis Maria Diaz de Otazu replaced Oliverio Rincon on the ONCE team; Eric Vandaeraerden replaced Luca Gelfi on the Brescialat team.

News and Reports

Chris Boardman crashed out and did not finish. Plainly -- and misguidedly -- determined to win despite the appalling wet conditions he rode his Lotus time trial bike. He was clocked at 75kph down a hill just before he crashed on a bend and went into the barriers. He apparently attempted to remount but was unable to ride on and is thought to have a broken collarbone.

Later reports indicated he has a broken left ankle and broken right arm.

The first four positions listed in my last posting remain the final overall top four finishers, with Durand first in 9 minutes dead. Indurain rode his normal road bike to a respectable 9.31 to finish 35th, Zulle came in in 9.24 and Rominger in 9.26. The biggest loser of the favourites was Evgeny Berzin whose time was over 10 minutes.

   * Lightning, high winds and driving rain turned the first night Tour
     race into a disaster for one of the Britain's favorites.
   * "I've never seen anything like it," said prologue specialist Thiery
     Marie (France).
   * Boardman went all out in the rain. He crashed into the railings on a
     slow corner. He is out of The Tour on the opening day after he won
     last year's prologue.
   * Boardman attempted to regain his bike, but was stopped and led away by
     team director Roger Legeay
   * Boardman was favored to win the 4.5-mile prologue.
   * The stage had been scheduled so Boardman's expected victory could be
     viewed live on prime-time TV in Britain.
   * In last year's prologue, Boardman's average speed of 34.27mph was a
     record for any stage since the inaugural Tour was held in 1903.
   * The three top finishers were early starters and profited from the dry
     roads.
   * Tony Rominger Miguel Indurain were unwilling to take risks and finished
     well down in the provisional standings.
   * Indurain played safe and even declined to use his special time trial
     for fear of falling.
   * Frenchmen finished 1-2-3 on the opening day of the Tour.
   * "What a surprise," Durand said. "When I saw the rain coming, I started
     believing in my chances."
   * "It's too bad for him," Durand said. "I would have preferred to see
     him win, rather than see that."

   * Along with the recognition of the yellow jersey, there is also great
     competition for the green jersey, the jersey of the Tour's fastest
     sprinter.
   * "I want to enter Paris wearing green," says Cippolini, one of
     sprinting's dominant forces.
   * But will his primarly competitor again be Abdoujaparov, who won last
     year's three of the last four green jerseys?
   * For each finish, racers accrue up to 35 points for the winner, then
     decreasing to 1 for the 25th finisher.
   * Sprint points are awarded even if the stage win is already taken.
   * The green jersey scoring system awards fewer points for mountain stages
     and time trials.
   * "In a sprint finish, I'm never scared. A sprinter who is scared might
     as well go fishing," says Wilfried Nelissen (Belgium).
   * Remembering last year's awful crash and looking to this year's first mass
     sprint finish, Nelissen said, "If it is going to finish with a sprint
     Sunday, it'll be tough not to think of Armentieres. It is
     going to be the most dangerous sprint of the season. Everyone will
     be there."
   * What creates the greatest grudges among sprinters? Answer: Not holding a
     line when sprinting.
   * Grudges are long held. Baffi caused injury to Cipollini last year during
     a sprint finish in the Vuelta. "I haven't spoken to him since. There is
     nothing to say," Cippolini said.
   * Eddy Merckx, not a sprinting specialist as are many of today's riders,
     won three green jerseys during his tenure from 1969 to 1974.

Minute by Minute Account - French Time - July 1

French pride was boosted after the prologue, with Jacky Durand of Castorama winning the leader's yellow jersey. Trailing him were three of his compatriots:

* -Thierry Laurent of Castorama came in second * -Francis Moreau of Gan was third * -Laurent Brochard of Festina finished fourth

9:58 PM - Outsider Wins the Prologue

Frenchman Jacky Durand of Castorama won the 7.3 km prologue, clocking in at just over 9 minutes. "It's unbelievable," he said. "We were hoping for good results, but this is great." He had the best time of the first group of riders lucky enough to set off before a storm broke. Spanish favorite Miguel Indurain, of Banesto, trailed Durand by 30 seconds.

9:33 PM - Time Trialists Chris Boardman Falls

British cyclist Chris Boardman of Gan crashed into the barrier while racing all out on the slippery routes of Saint-Brieuc. He held his ankle after the fall and looked as if he was in pain, but got back on his bike. However a few seconds later he got off and was carried to a waiting car.

8:39 PM - Rain Continues to Dim Chances of Champions

Heavy rain continued to pour down in Saint-Brieuc, clouding the prospects of the best sprinters. Favorites Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Briton Chris Boardman, who've won the prologue in the past, are among the last riders to take off on the slippery 7.3 km race course. Frenchman Jacky Durand still has the lead, at just over 9 minutes.

7:23 PM - Frenchman Takes Early Lead

After the first hour of racing, Frenchman Jacky Duran was leading the short opening prologue. He finished the 7.3 km course in nine minutes. Durand races for the Castorama team and won the Cahors stage last year. Favorites Miguel Indurain and Tony Rominger compete later in the evening. Heavy rainshowers threaten to make their going difficult.

6:58 PM - One of the Top Climbers Drops Out

Colombian racer Oliverio Rincon from the ONCE team was forced to drop out of the Tour because of a severe skin rash. Rincon, who's taken part in two Tours in the past, was considered to be one of the best riders in the pack. He did not take part in the prologue, but was replaced by Spaniard Luis Maria Diaz.

6:42 PM - The Prologue Starts in Western France

The first racers sped off the starting block in the 7.3 km-long prologue in the town of Saint-Brieuc on the Brittany coast. The start time -- at just after 6 p.m. in France

6:01 PM - All Eyes on Indurain at the Start of the Prologue

Millions of cycling enthusiasts worldwide are fixed on Spanish star Miguel Indurain at the start of the 82nd Tour de France. Indurain, who's won the last four races, finished second in the prologue last year and first in 1992 and 1993. But the early evening start, at just after 6 p.m. local time in Saint-Brieuc in western France, could hamper his results this year.