News for September 8


Rominger to chase hour record

Swiss cyclist Tony Rominger, stripped of his hour world record Friday by Britain's Chris Boardman, lost no time in vowing to take the record back next year.

"I almost prefer it that Boardman has taken the record away from me because that will help me motivate myself to beat it again," Rominger said in Valencia, where he competes in Saturday's opening stage of the Tour of Spain.

"This year I was going to beat my own record but I didn't have the motivation to compete against anyone," he explained. But he added he now intended to go after a new record in either October or November next year at an unspecified European location.

"It will be my last race as a professional before I retire," Rominger said.

Boardman annihilated Rominger's hour record of 55.291 kilometres, set in Bordeaux in 1994, when he raced 56.3759 kilometres (35.03 miles) at the Manchester Velodrome on Friday evening.

Boardman said after his stunning performance at his local track that he did not intend to improve on his mark.

More Hour Reports

Britain's Chris Boardman smashed the coveted world hour record Friday and became the first person to break the 56-kilometer barrier when he cycled 56.375 km (35.03 miles) at the Manchester veledrome.

Boardman, 28, used the outstretched arms superman style invented by fellow Briton and former hour record holder Graeme Obree to break the previous record of 55.291 km (34.357 miles) set by Switzerland's Tony Rominger in Bordeaux in 1994.

Boardman, who previously set the world record in 1993 when he rode 52.270 km (32.479 miles) in Bordeaux, was on target from the start. In a very controlled ride, he was 10 seconds ahead of schedule after 10km, 20 up after 20km and 45 seconds after 40m.

He covered over 220 laps of the track, and when he crossed the line for the last time before a capacity crowd of 3,500, he waved a finger in the air to signal that he was No. 1 again.

It is the third world record Boardman has set in 10 days, and all three were set at the Manchester veledrome. At the world track championships last week he twice set the world record in the 4,000-meter pursuit.

The hour record is cycling's equivalent of the mile mark in athletics and has been held by greats such as Belgian Eddy Merckx, Italy's Francesco Moser and Spain's Miguel Indurain.

Since Boardman held the record for the first time, the mark has been surpassed and held by Obree, Indurain and Rominger.

To refresh your memories

35,325 km: Desgrange (Fra)      11-05-1893      Parijs
38,220 km: Dubois (Fra)         31-10-1894      Parijs
39,240 km: Van den Eynde (Bel)  30-07-1897      Parijs
40,781 km: Hamilton (VSt)       09-07-1898      Denver
41,110 km: Petit-Breton (Fra)   24-08-1905      Parijs
41,520 km: Berthet (Fra)        20-06-1907      Parijs
42,360 km: Egg (Zwi)            22-08-1912      Parijs
42,741 km: Berthet              07-08-1913      Parijs
43,525 km: Egg                  21-08-1913      Parijs
43,775 km: Berthet              20-09-1913      Parijs
44,247 km: Egg                  18-06-1912      Parijs
44,588 km: Van Hout (Ned)       25-08-1933      Roermond
44,777 km: Richard (Fra)        29-08-1933      St-Truiden
45,067 km: Olmo (Ita)           31-10-1935      Milaan
45,375 km: Richard              14-10-1936      Milaan
45,535 km: Slaats (Ned)         29-09-1937      Milaan
45,817 km: Archambaud (Fra)     03-11-1937      Milaan
45,848 km: Coppi (Ita)          07-11-1942      Milaan
46,159 km: Anquetil (Fra)       29-06-1956      Milaan
46,393 km: Baldini (Ita)        19-09-1956      Milaan
46,923 km: Riviere (Fra)        18-09-1957      Milaan
47,346 km: Riviere              23-08-1958      Milaan
48,093 km: Bracke (Bel)         30-10-1967      Rome
48,653 km: Ritter (Den)         10-10-1968      Mexico
49,431 km: Merckx (Bel)         25-10-1972      Mexico
50,808 km: Moser (Ita)          19-01-1984      Mexico
51,151 km: Moser                23-01-1984      Mexico
51,596 km: Obree (GBr)          17-07-1993      Hamar
52,270 km: Boardman (GBr)       23-07-1993      Bordeaux
52,713 km: Obree                27-04-1994      Bordeaux
53,040 km: Indurain (Spa)       02-09-1994      Bordeaux
53,832 km: Rominger (Zwi)       22-10-1994      Bordeaux
55,291 km: Rominger             05-11-1994      Bordeaux
56,375 km: Boardman             06-09-1996      Manchester

Driedaagse Deltatour/threedays Deltatour (amateurs)

Stage 1, Burgh-Haamstede-Renesse: 

 1. Van Elven (Rucphen)   1 35 km in 2.59.32
 2. Van de Vliet (Oost Grachtdijk) 	0.03
 3. Reinerink (Harbrinkhoek)
 4. Hey (Zevenhuizen)
 5. Kistemaker (Purmerend)
 6. De Bakker (Bel)
 7. Hordijk (Rotterdam) 		0.13
 8. Hoedemakers (Eerde)
 9. Schurer (Oud-Gastel)
10. Westerbeek (Breda)

Dubbeldam to TVM

24 year-old Davy Dubbeldam will go from Foreldorado-Golff to TVM on a 2 year contract.