Paris-Tours - World Cup Event
Race Distance: 250km, October 15
1. Nicola Minali, Italy (Gewiss) 5.45.55
2. Andrei Tchmil, Russia (Lotto)
3. Sven Teutenberg, Germany (Novell)
4. Jurgen Werner, Germany (Telekom)
5. Johan Capiot, Belgium (Refin)
6. Hendrik Redant, Belgium (TVM)
7. Adriano Baffi, Italy (Mapei)
8. Lars Michaelsen, Denmark (Festina)
9. Michele Bartoli, Italy (Mercatone)
10. Gabriele Missaglia, Italy (Brescialat)
11. Viatcheslav Ekimov, Russia (Novell)
12. Maurizio Fondriest, Italy (Lampre)
13. Frank Corvers, Belgium (Lotto)
14. Johan Museeuw, Belgium (Mapei)
15. Stefano Zanini, Italy (Gewiss) +6 secs
16. Van Heeswijk (Neth, Motorola) +9
17. Kirsipuu (Est, Chazal)
18. Colonna (It, Mapei)
19. Steels (Bel, Vlaanderen 2002)
20. J. Planckaert (Bel, Collstrop)
21. Leysen
22. N. Jalabert
23. Peeters
24. Boscardin
25. Zabel
26. Pavanello
27. Bramati
28. Biasci
29. Bettin
30. Piziks
31. Magnien
32. Cornelisse
33. M. De Clercq
34. Desmet
35. Lesniewski
36. Heynderickx
37. Capelle
38. Cattai
39. Zanatta
40. Petito
41. Crepaldi
42. Chanteur
43. Andreu
44. Thijs
45. Hoffman
46. Giraldi
47. C. Moreau
48. Fornaciari
49. Dekker
50. Gualdi
51. Gianeti
52. Feys
53. Locatelli
54. Lecchi
55. Mengin
56. Anti
57. Auger
58. Roux
59. Nardello
60. Radaelli
61. Aldag
62. Van Petegem
63. Hodge
64. Bobrik
65. Fleischer
66. Goubert
67. Merckx
68. Pellicioli
69. Cenghialta
70. Plaza
71. Knaven
72. Den Bakker
73. Tebaldi
74. Pistore
75. Puttini
76. Caruso
77. Roosen
78. Ledanois
79. Verbeken
80. Luna
81. Yates
82. Peron
83. Kummer
84. Canzonieri
85. Holm all s.t.
86. Henn +18
87. Hundertmark +57
88. De Buyst +59
89. Vasseur s.t.
90. Hoj +1.13
91. Poli +1.16
92. Tomi s.t.
93. Belli +1.36
94. Farazijn
95. Spruch
96. Patry
97. F. Moreau
98. Bomans
99. Santaromita all s.t.
100. Pierobon +2.28
101. Baronti
102. Maassen
103. Colotti
104. Brignoli
105. Van Hooydonck
106. Vermey
107. Willems
108. Verstrepen
109. Peers all s.t.
110. Pillon +2.51
111. Van Steen s.t.
112. Seigneur +3.52
113. Cueff +5.48
114. Pretot +8.11
115. Borghi
116. Boussard
117. Fraser
118. Jeker
119. Arazzi
120. Guilbert
121. Eeckhout
122. Marie
123. Gaumont
124. Ozers
125. Petilleau
126. Wauters
127. Sergeant
128. Roscioli
129. Delion all s.t.
130. Van Bon +12.21
131. Pelliconi +13.34
(167 starters, 131 finishers. Principal non-starters: Leblanc--Polti, S.
Casagrande--Brescialat)
Cloudy at the start, rain in mid-race, sunny at the finish
**At 11km a break went away,including Minali and several of his Gewiss
team-mates, Museeuw with several Mapeis. Sixteen of the 22 teams were
represented in the break and it was left to Lotto and Motorola, who were not
represented, to wind up a vigorous
pursuit which dropped several riders off the back of the peloton. The gap
between the 29 and the peloton rached 55 seconds at km40 and it was only at
km61 that the junction was made. The easing of the pace that followed allowed a
group of those who had been dropped, including French champion Eddy Seigneur
(GAN) to rejoin the peloton.
**After the regrouping, Anti (Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne) attacked at Bonneval
(km66) but was quickly brought back. At km76 his team-mate Stephane Cueff broke
clear, receiving the assistance of Seigneur at km85. The break of two's lead
stretched to 16 minutes at km123.
**The peloton took a long time to react to any efffect and Cueff and Seigneur's
lead was still 13.25 at the feed 100km from the finish. But then the initiative
of the Gewiss, Telekom, Novell and TVM teams rapidly brought their lead down --
8 mins at 50km to go, then 1.30 at 25km. Cueff was caught at km 229 and Seigneur
a little later with 15km to the finish.
**Fodriest (Lampre) attacked in the last climb followed by Minali (Gewiss),
Museeuw (Mapei) and Missaglia (Brescialat). Museeuw and Missaglia kept forcing
to 900m from the line when they were engulfed by the sprint which Minali took
cleanly.
Quote of the day: Fondriest--"Every year I try to get away on this climb. This
year I tried to wait just a little longer. But I had Minali in my wheel and he
didn't want to work on a break. I've already had a third at Chaville [when the
same race was Blois-Chaville], third at Tours, then second behind Museeuw. I
hope that I'll end up winning."