News for March 22, 1997

World Cup itinerary:

March 22 - Milan-San Remo (Italy) 
April 6 - Tour of Flanders (Belgium) 
April 13 - Paris-Roubaix (France) 
April 20 - Liege-Bastogne-Liege (Belgium) 
April 26 - Amstel Gold (Netherlands) 
August 9 - San Sebastian Classic (Spain) 
August 17 - Rochester Classic (Britain) 
August 24 - Grand Prix of Switzerland 
October 5 - Paris-Tours (France) 
October 18 - Tour of Lombardy (Italy)

Past World Cup winners:

1989 - Sean Kelly (Ireland) 
1990 - Gianni Bugno (Italy) 
1991 - Maurizio Fondriest (Italy) 
1992 - Olaf Ludwig (Germany) 
1993 - Fondriest 
1994 - Gianluca Bortolami (Italy) 
1995 - Johan Museeuw (Belgium) 
1996 - Museeuw

Museeuw on double mission

Museeuw is seeking to become the first Belgian to win the 294-km classic in 16 years and also knows that victory will give him a flying start in his bid to complete an unprecedented hat-trick of World Cup titles.

The Belgian's ambition went off the boil briefly last year after he announced his retirement. But that all changed when, within weeks of slipping into the rainbow jersey of world road-race champion, he donned the colours of World Cup winner for a second year.

``I became a different man when I won the rainbow jersey,'' said Museeuw. ``I want to prove I am a real champion and that it was not just a lucky day in Lugano.

``I will ask my team to ride for me on Saturday. Last year we had a dilemma. Myself and team mates Abraham Olano and Frank Vanden Broucke were chasing between the leaders and the main field.

``I could not ask Vanden Broucke to work for me because he was suffering after a fall. I could hardly ask Olano for his assistance -- he was world champion and I had too much respect for him.''

Now Museeuw is champion, and he feels it, especially with four early-season victories.

``Laurent Jalabert was very good in the Paris-Nice race. But that is not comparable with Milan-San Remo,'' he said.

``I will be hard to stop if I am in a good position when we reach the Poggio climb.''

It is 5.3 km from the top of the Poggio to the finish in Via Roma, most of it a helter-skelter descent from the 162-metre summit with its vast greenhouses and lemon groves.

``Perfect knowledge of the Poggio is indispensable it you want to succeed,'' said Eddy Merckx, who contributed seven of Belgium's 11 victories between 1966 and 1981.

Last year Italian Gabriele Colombo confounded the pundits.

Unfavoured and under-rated, he gave Italy their fifth triumph in seven years -- their best spell since the 1950s in a race Italians love to win.

Frenchman Jalabert, number one in the world rankings, interrupted the home successes with victory in 1995. He is back following a second win in the Paris-Nice but the Italians have aces to play.

Jalabert and Museeuw

Museeuw will be looking for a solid start to his bid for a third successive World Cup title in the 294-kilometer race, won last year by Italian Gabriele Colombo.

Yet his Mapei team director, Patrick Lefevere, admits he is nervous about Museeuw's prospects of holding off the in-form Frenchman in Saturday's first -- and longest -- classic of the season.

"Johan is very fast, especially at the end of a long race," Lefevere said. "But Jalabert was well ahead in the Paris-Nice. If it comes down to a sprint between the two, it all depends if there is a small group just behind them. I hope Johan can do it but I'm not convinced."

Both Museeuw and Jalabert will certainly be looking for an improvement on last year. Then, Museeuw finished eighth and Jalabert was forced to pull out with a knee injury caused in winning his second Paris-Nice title.

Italian fans will be hoping that Michele Bartoli can muscle his way in amongst the two favourites though realistically he will do well to improve on his third place finish of last year.

Britain's Italian-born Maximilian Sciandri will also fancy his chances after coming fourth a year ago when he lost out in a sprint by a breakway group of four headed by Colombo.

One man who definitely won't be in contention is Olympic road-race champion Pascal Richard of Switzerland.

Richard was knocked over by a car in training and suffered a brokem left hand and broken fingers on his right hand, as well as a fractured sternum.