European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 3, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday july 3, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 25 78th tour de franc another Lemond tour de Force by Salvatore Zanca the associated press Paris a he dropped out of the tour of Italy and a few other races this Spring. In the races he did Complete he Wasny to among the leaders. Still Greg Lemond is probably the favorite going into the tour de France. Why for him its the Only race that counts. / the tour starts its 78th circuit around the country saturday with a Short prologue in Lyon. The real racing gets under Way the next Day with an individual stage in the morning and a team time trial in the afternoon. The race continues for 22 stages in a counterclockwise direction through the pyrenees and the Alps ending in Paris on july 28 after 2,462 Miles. Lemond has won in 1986, 1989 and 1990. The last two were come from behind victories on the final weekend. A there is no reason i can twin this year a Lemond said. A even if. I done twin this year i believe i have three or four Good seasons he has always maintained that the Only race that motivates him is the tour de France. More than any of the other one Day classics mini Tours or world cup races that fill the cycling Calendar. A in classics you need some Luck. Luck Isnit a part of the tour de France a Lemond said. He has been criticized especially this year for using the earlier races As training. When he dropped out of the tour of Italy he was blasted by the italian press. Belgian great Eddy Merckx who won the tour de France five times has also been disapproving. A people say that in a a specialist of the tour de France but i try hard in every race a Lemond said. A but the Competition is much harder than it was when Merckx or others could win nearly any a i Only have a Good year when i win the tour de France a Lemond said. A if not its a bad year no matter How hard i prepared a if i could get every year like 1990 its great a he said. In 1990 he spotted four riders about 10 minutes in the first stage when when he and the rest of the Field failed to go after them. He spent the rest of the tour picking them off with consistent Riding. He caught the last of them italian Claudio Schiappucci in the time trial on the final saturday to win by More than two minutes although Schiappucci came in second Lemond looks to last years third place finisher Erik Breukink to be a challenger. Another italian Gianni Bugno and the 1988 Winner Pedro Delgado Are also mentioned As possible winners. A i believe that the most dangerous will be Breukink a Lemond said. A still you can to throw out Delgado. He Rode Well in the Giro without making too much noise. But he was Schiappucci was second in the recent tour of Italy with Bugno fourth. The Winner Franco Chioccioli is not entered in the tour de France. Lemond meanwhile dropped out before the 15th Valenciennes 1991 tour de France 6 july-28 july 3940 Kilometres distances Are rounded. Stage. A two years ago it was a Calm race where there were Days of recuperation a he said. A now its difficulty approaches that of the tour de so Lemond withdrew rather than have a poor showing in the mountains before he was in top shape. And As saturdays Start approaches Fie is still building up mileage in his legs. He Hopes to use the first part of this years tour to gain additional practice. A that part pleases me a Lemond said. A especially the first 10 Flat stages. Its a very Good thing for me. That gives me a Chance to find my rhythm for the the first 11 stages through Central and Northern Apt. Dean Caplo France Are relatively easy before a rest Day transfers the racers to the base of the pyrenees. From Pau on the 12th stage the tour makes its first heavy climb to Jaca Spain. The next stage has five hard climbs to Val Louron Back in France. After that it is another Flat part though Southern France until the Alps. As in a number of past years the climb to 1�?Talpe do Huez is a key to the race in the 17th stage july 23. If it is still a close race the time trial from Hugny to Macon will probably determine the Winner As it did last year. Lemond finished fifth but gained enough time on Schiappucci there to earn the leaders yellow will be missing one of its old hands by de Reavis staff writer when the 78th tour de France begins on saturday one of its grand old commentators will be missing a the German reporter and author Hans Blickens Doerfer. Blickens Doerfer a tour de France fan since his childhood covered 10 Tours from Start to grueling finish during his career As chief sports writer for the daily stut Garter Zeitung newspaper. He was also correspondent for the French sports journal and tour sponsor a a la equip a and author of two historical books and one novel on the tour. A i Haven to missed Many Tours but in a in the Middle of a Book on Franz Beckenbauer and can to tear myself away. Ill follow it on television a Blickens Doerfer said in a Telephone interview. About 11 years ago Blicken Doefer wrote a Best Selling novel with the title a the it was the Story of his and ver Tures escaping Allied prisoner of War Camps at the end of world War ii and living As a Frenchman until he could return Home. Riding the wave of that Success Blickens Doerfer quit his Post with the paper to write books. Blickens Doerfer said he was counting on Greg Lemond to win his fourth tour although Many experts and cyclists criticize Lemond for not participating in the big Street races this year. A times have changed and so have the cyclists and the Way they they train for big events. Years ago i would have joined in the chorus of Lemond critics for not winning the big Street races in preparation for the tour. A but Lemond is such an extraordinary athlete that he May not need it. Besides contrary to the old Days Lemond is a millionaire before he even gets onto his Bike. The cities and towns pay a Fortune these Days to be on the tour route and the cyclists profit from Blickens Doerfer pointed out that the legendary belgian cyclist and five time tour Winner Eddie Merckx was earning about $2 million a year at the end of the season. A Lemond earns Many times that these Days. Its similar to the Money Boom we had in the tour was founded in 1903 by Henri Desgrange publisher of the defunct a a la Auto a a French automobile Magazine. Blickens Doerfer Calls the tour the grand daddy of All Street races. To him the Giro do italia and the rest Are just copies. A and its always been a print Media event since its founding despite current total television coverage a said Blickens Doerfer. A Only the reporters can Covey the drama of what a happening behind the scenes within the men on the Blickens Doerfert a books Are full of the history and anecdotes of the tour. A in 1910, when the tour first crossed the pyrenees it followed the old lumber hauling trails and the cyclists not Only had to avoid boulders but could run into bears coming Over from Spain. A Italy a Ottavio Cotecchia won the tour in 1924 and �?T25, but in �?T27 his career came to an end when an italian Farmer killed cyclist with a Rock for eating his grapes. A in the tour Days before controls were perfected some of the cyclists would take the train or shortcuts and fans would throw nails onto the Road to disable the Competition. A in 1911, Pierre Duboc was headed for certain Victory when he was Given a poisoned drink by an unknown bystander. Duboc survived. A in 1967, englishman Tom Simpson fell from his Bike on treacherous it. Ventour in Provence and died. A algerian cyclist Abdelkader Zwaaf leading the tour by 40 minutes in the mountains stopped and quenched his thirst with two bottles of White wine. He then took a Short Nap but woke up two hours later and Rode off at top Speed in the wrong direction Back to the mornings starting Point. Blickens Doerfer dismissed the idea of a German winning the tour in the foresee ble future. A the germans Are not cyclists. They re very Good on indoor tracks but real cycling is Stet cycling and ignoring a few exceptions we Arentt players. The belgians Are the toughest but maybe the opening of the former East bloc countries will change the
