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From: jeff@dual.UUCP (Jeff Houston)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Tour De France
Message-ID: <666@dual.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 11-Jul-84 20:15:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: dual.666
Posted: Wed Jul 11 20:15:48 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 12-Jul-84 05:27:23 EDT
References: <115@wisc-ai.ARPA> <1229@qubix.UUCP>
Organization: Dual Systems, Berkeley, CA
Lines: 49

Ok folks, the Tour De France has had its first 12 stages ridden and the
two American riders (riding for European sponsered teams) are doing quite
well.  The Tour is now into the mountain phase - with many long stages
of well over 200 Kilos to go!

Current standings:

1. Vincent Barteau (France)	Over all time: 54:17:21
2. Maurice Le Guilloux (France)  		   7:47 behind
3. Laurent Fignon (France)			  10:25 behind
4. Gerard Veldscholten (Holland)		  12:28 behind
5. Bernard Hinault (France)			  12:38 behind
6. Phil Anderson (Austrialia)			  13:29 behind
7. Greg Lemond (US)				  14:23 behind
8. Sean Kelly (Ireland)				  14:31 behind
9. Pedro Delgado (Spain)			  14:37 behind
10.Robert Millar (Britian)			  14:47 behind
24.Jonathon Boyer (US)				  20:54 behind

Barteau was in a breakaway that beat the main pack by over 14 minutes on one
of the early stages and has retained the lead since.  Hinault is a three time
winner and will probably be number one again.  All of Fignon, Kelly, Lemond,
and Anderson are possible suprises.  This is Greg Lemonds first Tour and
he is doing quite well, with about half the stages completed.

For those not aware of the Tour, it is held yearly consisting of something
like 25 stages with usually one held per day.  The race is held primarily
in France and the middle stages of the Tour go thru some fierce mountain
terrain.  Stages range from shorter time trial events (30 to 100kms) to
longer events (Up to 350kms).  The winner of the Tour is the man with the
least accumulated time, but there are benefits for placing in the top three
in each stage - these are usually time bonuses which make these places all
that more profitable to shot for each day.

It doesn't look like there are any Italian teams again this year, I think
the Italians and the French are still feuding over rules and other things.
Currently, the US has just Lemond and Boyer riding in the Tour, but the US
is considering sending a sponsered team within the next few years.  Both US
riders are on different sponsered teams, Lemond rides for Renault-Elf Gitane,
but I don't know which team Boyer rides with.

Will keep folks up on Tour results when I see em.

	To quote Bill the Cat, "GACK".

	Jeff Houston
	Dual Systems Corp., Berkeley, CA
	{ucbvax,ihnp4,cbosgd,zehntel,fortune,decwrl}!dual!jeff