Tour of Spain - Stages 6 to 11

Stage 6 Notes

   * Peloton-wide food poisoning, believed to have come from a bolognese
sauce or cream dessert at dinner on Thursday night, hit the Vuelta today
(Friday).

   * Forty-five riders, including race leader Laurent Jalabert and other
riders from seven different teams (Once, Kelme, Banesto, Telekom,
Castellbach, Artiach, and ?), fought diarrhea and stomach cramps during
today's sixth stage. Necessary and frequent stops interrupted the peloton's
progress about every 14 kilometers.

   * Race officials said the stomach problems did not appear to be too severe.

   * Near the end of the stage, about 10 riders crashed approaching the
final sprint. Jose Santamaria (Spain) was taken to hospital with a broken
collar-bone and suspected head injuries. He has been admitted overnight for
observation.

   * The crash split the peloton into two groups. The second group came in
48 seconds after the first.

  * Saturday's stage is a 41 kms individual time trial in Salamanca.

Stage 6 - Orense to Zamora, 264 kms

G.C.(6)

Stage 7 Notes

   * A total of 45 riders suffered from food poisoning during Friday's
sixth stage, but had recovered on Saturday.

   * Alex Zuelle lost nearly two minutes yesterday (Friday) after crashing
and  fighting food poisoning.

   * Abraham Olano recovered from a fall to win today's time trial.

   * Bjarne Rijs (Denmark) crashed when a tire flatted 2 kms from the
finish. He smacked his head, back and elbow against a barricade and lost
more than a minute, eventually finishing sixth.

   * Sunday's 8th stage is 220 kilometer mountain stage from Salamanca to Avila.

Results Stage 7 - 41 kms ITT

G.C. after Stage 7

Notes for Stage 8

   * Jalabert's performance in stage 8, attacking 60 kms from the finish,
is being termed stunning and brilliant by the cycling press.

  * With his increasingly improving climbing skills, he dropped Tour de
France mountain king Richard Virenque and super-climber Marco Pantani on
is way to the stage victory.
   * "He's looking unbeatable, he's just as strong as Miguel Indurain was
during the Tour of France," said Spanish rider Felix Garcia Casas.

Stage 8 - Salamanca - Avila, 220 kms

General Classification after Stage 8

Stage 9 Notes

Jesper Skibby attacked from a leading group of seven riders on the most
difficult part of Puerto de Navacerrada (1st cat), 25 km from the finish.
The other six riders were swept up on the descent but Skibby managed to
stay away. It was Skibby's third stage win in the Vuelta (two stages in
1991). Tomorrow the Vuelta heads south with a transfer to Cordoba and a
very flat stage to Sevilla tomorrow.

Stage 9 Results Avila - Distilerias Dyc Segovia, 122 kms

General Classfication after Stage 9

Stage 10 Notes

   Bjarne Rijs (at 5th overall) abandoned the Tour of Spain early in
today's stage. He fractured his third neck vertebre in a crash this past
Saturday. Rijs complained of difficulty breathing and chest pain during
Sunday's stage. "I felt terrible and was just happy to reach Avila," he
said. He is expected to be out of action for at least three weeks.

Stage 10 Results - 170 kms

Stage 11 Notes

  * Death threats have been made against Laurent Jalabert (France) by
someone opposed to France's nuclear testing. The threats were made through
the ONCE team headquarters in Madrid.

    * Jalabert and the entire ONCE team have had 24-hour police protection
for several days but neither ONCE nor race organizers will confirm that
this is because of threats.

    * "The business about the threats is something that worries me but I
can't do anything about it," he told a news conference after Wednesday's
11th stage of the Tour. By killing me they are not going to change the
ideas of the President of the French Republic."

    * "If they wanted to kill me, they would have had the easiest time on
the Avila day, because I was alone out front," he said.

   * Jalabert plans no attacks during the 239 kms Sierra Mountain stage
tomorrow (Thursday) when the peloton encounters the Vuelta's highest peak
of 2,320 meters.

   * "I have a big advantage which allows me to avoid taking risks,"
Jalabert said. "My priority now is remaining in the lead and winning the
Tour."

Stage 11 Results - Seville - Marbella, 187 kms

G.C. (11)