News for October 18

Second Edition

Tour de France 1996 Itinerary
(excuse use of miles -- my source "kindly" translated them) 
There is apparently no team time trial this year.

June 29 Prologue s Hertogenbosch (Netherlands) 5.8m
June 30 Stage 1 s Hertogenbosch circuit race 128m
July 1 Stage 2 s Hertogenbosch--Wasquehal 141m
July 2 Stage 3 Wasquehal--Nogent-sur-Oise 121m
July 3 Stage 4 Soissons--Lac de Madine 143m
July 4 Stage 5 Lac de Madine--Besancon 140m
July 5 Stage 6 Arc-et-Senan--Aix-les-Bains 129m
July 6 Stage 7 Chambery--Les Arcs 126m
July 7 Stage 8 Bourg-Saint-Maurice--Val dIsere (time trial) 18.6m
July 8 Stage 9 Val dIsere--Sestriere (Italy) 118m
July 9 Stage 10 Turin (Italy)--Gap 126m
July 10 Rest Day
July 11 Stage 11 Gap--Valence 124m
July 12 Stage 12 Valence--Le Puy-en-Velay 89m
July 13 Stage 13 Le Puy-en-Velay--Suerbesse-Sancy 110m
July 14 Stage 14 Besse--Tulle 115m
July 15 Stage 15 Brive-la-Gaillarde--Villeneuve-sur-Lot 110m
July 16 Stage 16 Agen--Lourdes (Hautacam) 120m
July 17 Stage 17 Argeles-Gazost--Pamplona (Spain) 162m
July 18 Stage 18 Pamplona--Hendaye 93m
July 19 Stage 19 Hendaye--Bordeaux 137m
July 20 Stage 20 Bordeaux--Saint-Emilion (time trial) 37.2m
July 21 Stage 21 Palaiseau--Paris (Champs Elysees) 90m

__________________________________________

Paris--Tours Break Pays Off

Eddy Seigneurs long break with Stephane Cueff in Paris--Tours on Sunday was by 
no means a fruitless enterprise. Seigneur bagged the bulk of the races sprint
and 
climb primes -- a total of 59,500 French francs in prize money (almost
US$12,000)

__________________________________________

Indurain -- An Hour Attempt Again Next Season?

Indurain says that he would like to have a try at taking Tony Romingers
record next season -- this time with a proper period of preparation. "It 
wont be ataltitude," Indurain said, "since that would demand a month of 
adaptation, nor at an open velodrome where there are always circumstances 
you cant overcome. Maybe i Germany, maybe somewhere else, and not until 
after the Tour de France. Imcertain[Romingers] 55.291 cant be beaten wit
only a weeks preparation."

____________________________________________

Longo Prefers Wind To An Early Start

Jeannie Longo is making the final preparations for an attempt on the womens
hour record in Bogota tomorrow (October 18). She is prepared to take the 
chance on wind, preferring this to a very early morning start in the cold, 
so we should expect a start at about 10am. 

Already a record holder at altitude six years ago (Mexico City 
46.352km), Longo is now seeking to beat Yvonne McGregors 47.411km. She is
still pondering whether to use 57x15 (8.11m) or 54x14 (8.26m). A steady 
start is in mind. 

"Ive ridden enough pursuits in my career to know that at altitude its
necessaary to start slowly," she said. "All of those who put it into the
red at the start atthe Worlds exploded by the finish." Should strong winds 
blow up during the attempt Longo would not hesitate to make a second attempt 
the next day.