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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Tour De France Will Be Road To Glory For One

Raf Casert Associated Press

Miguel Indurain has a shot at greatness. Tony Rominger has a shot at belated recognition. Lance Armstrong finally has a shot at Paris.

This year’s edition of the Tour de France, which starts Saturday, promises to be one of the most exciting in years, with Spain’s Indurain seeking to join cycling greats Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault as the only five-time winners.

After Indurain crushed opposition for the past four years with ever bigger margins, Swiss veteran Rominger is in peak form to make the most of perhaps his last chance to wear the leader’s yellow jersey into Paris on July 23.

“I know very well that I will suffer in the Tour this year,” Indurain said, reviewing the challengers.

Armstrong, starting his third trek through France, has yet to cross the finish line on the Champs Elysees, but is bent on completing all 20 stages this year.

At 23, he has reached cycling maturity. “A young body cannot really handle a three-week race,” he said. He already proved his stamina, winning the Tour DuPont, the most prestigious race in the United States.

The Tour de France starts out in Saint-Brieuc on Brittany’s rugged coast, then makes a huge clockwise loop, venturing into Belgium early on, sweeping through the Alps and Pyrenees before ending up in the capital, 2,197 miles later.

Brittany is the rugged country of Hinault, who won five Tours between 1978 and 1985. No one has equaled that feat since.

This year, Indurain might even do better, becoming the first racer to win five in a row.

“He will be tough to beat,” said Merckx, who won five between 1969 and 1974.

Unlike the 8 seconds that gave Greg LeMond the title over Laurent Fignon in 1989, Indurain has always won by minutes. It steadfastly increased to more than 5 minutes last year, an eternity in Tour terms.

Usually his power during time trials made the outcome a foregone conclusion before the pack moved into the mountains. This year is different.

Rominger, 34, is hitting peak form and gained a psychological time-trial edge on the Spaniard when he robbed the champion of the 1-hour world record in devastating style in November.

On top of that, Mapei-GB is Rominger’s strongest team ever. It will be vital factor during the July 4 39.5-mile team trial, the first test to divide the challengers from the pack.

“If, unlike other years, I can stay in touch during the time trials, it is tough to see where Indurain will gain an edge,” said Rominger.

On top of that, Rominger has never been hungrier. He easily won the Giro tour of Italy last month and said “what inspires me is that, at my age, I won’t get too many more chances.”

Banesto rider Indurain, 31, also had a seamless early season.

Two one-week races in southern France, covering some of the key Tour mountains, went smoothly, giving him the Midi Libre and Dauphine titles. “There is continuous progress,” he said.

Another challenger who has been making steady progress is Yevgeny Berzin, a Russian who is a threat in the mountains. One of his toughest rivals has proved to be Latvian Piotr Ugromov, who finished second to Indurain last year.

So far this year, the two have been going at one another instead of other teams, a tactical nightmare for the Italian Gewiss Balan team.

France has not had a Tour champion since Hinault won his last title a decade ago.

Most hopes center on Laurent Jalabert, who has made a remarkable conversion from sprinter into allrounder this season, even going up the mountains with the best. Last year he was stopped short when he suffered a horrific crash in a sprint finish.

Armstrong’s ambitions are less lofted, centering more on a stage victory and a decent placing in the final standings. He has his thoughts on the future.

“Indurain and Rominger are past 30. A new generation of challengers is waiting,” he said. He wants to be part of that crop.