Individual Time Trial for Men

World Championships - ITT (43 kms), 4 Oct 95

Some Discussion

   * Total field: 64 riders

   * Indurain took 24.41 minutes to reach the 21-km mark, the fastest time
at that point, and overtook Maurizio Fondriest shortly before the finish
despite starting two minutes after him.

   * Indurain reported the time-trial was not the hardest of his career,
even at the rarified altitude of 2,800 meters.

   *Afterwards, Indurain commented: "I started off at a good pace but
controlling the rhythm for the more difficult parts. You are always close
to the limit in a time-trial but you must not go over the limit. The
hardest part was near the end but when I saw I was catching up with
Fondriest, that encouraged me and gave me the strength I needed to go on."

   * The individual time trial (ITT) was introduced at the world
championships only last year, 1995. It was won by Chris Boardman who is out
with injuries this year.


Worlds Time Trial Benchmarks

The course of the World Championships time trial tomorrow (October 4) is
the route of one of Colombia's classic time trials. The record for the 43km
between Paipa and Tunja is held by Fabio Parra (now the Colombian team
selector) -- 56 minutes. But apparently he did this with a fair bit of
drafting behind cars and motorcycles since he was riding into a headwind
and needed protection! The best time this year was made by Colombian Duban
Ramirez (nephew of the famous Cochise Ramirez) in 1.00.21. But in training
for Wednesday's ride, Spaniard Abraham Olano has already recorded 59
minutes...


Attitudes to Altitude

Because of the perceived difficulty of the Worlds road circuit at Duitama,
and the humid and rainy conditions being experienced, the Italian,
Colombian, Swiss and Dutch teams have been making representations to the
UCI that the pro road race next Sunday (October 8) should be shortened by
two 13km laps.

The selector of the Spanish team, Pepe Grande, will have nothing to do with
this request. "For us," he said, "this would be a blow below the belt [un
coup bas]. The harder the course, the better Miguel will go. But it also
puts in question all our preparation -- dozens and dozens of hours of work
and sacrifice. I know nothing about this officially, but I fear that Spain
will be alone against everybody else if the teams are left responsible for
a decision."

Banesto directeur sportif Eusebio Unzue added: "Would the Societe du Tour
de France drop two stages of the Tour because the riders found it too
hard?"

The French team -- not apparently involved in the attempt to shorten the
race -- is universally going for small chainrings of 39 or 40 with
12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23 blocks. This compares with Alpe d'Huez set-ups that
are usually 39x21. Despite the steep descent on the course, the French will
not be using 11 sprockets, but will go for 54 big chainrings. French
team-leader Richard Virenque waxed lyrical about the climb after his first
ride round the circuit. "It's terrible," he said. "In a car the other day,
it surprised me by its difficulty, but on the bike I understand even better
that it's going to be hell. Riders who haven't adapted to the altitude are
rapidly going to be shelled out. It'll be necessary to be strong, very
strong. It's a very extreme circuit."

Jeannie Longo, who is riding the time trial and the road race wasn't going
to be tempted into hyperbole. "It isn't as hard as Sallanches [where
Hinault won the 1980 pro race in front of 14 other finishers]," she said.
"But there is altitude. [Mais il ya l'altitude]"

And then there is the downside...
There has been a fair bit of rain at Duitama recently and Miguel Indurain
was the first to recognize that the vertiginous descent on the circuit "can
get riders up to 100 kph [I quote, so don't mail me telling me it's
physically impossible!] without their pedalling. It would be a tricky
business in the rain with 180 riders. The first careless move could lead to
a bad incident."