Zulle’s time of 10:53 was two seconds faster than Britain’s Chris Boardman, who had been the hot favorite to take the first yellow jersey of the 1996 Tour de France. Immediately behind Boardman came Evgeni Berzin of the Italian team Gewiss, with Mapei/GB pair Abraham Olano and Tony Rominger a few seconds back. The day’s biggest surprise, however, was the relatively low-key performance of Miguel Indurain, whose time of 11:05 was only three seconds faster than chief French rival Jalabert.
In wet, windy and greasy conditions, the Tour’s favorites were expected to proceed with caution, particularly in light of Boardman’s experience in 1995, when he crashed dramatically out of the Tour on equally treacherous roads. But the flat route through the suburbs of s’Hertegenbosch proved far more docile, and when the Tour’s big hitters finally rolled down the start ramp, speeds well in excess of 50 kilometers per hour were soon being recorded. In fact, Zulle’s ONCE team dominated the day, with their Spanish veteran Melchor Mauri serving as the long-term leader as no fewer than 150 riders were unable to beat his time of 11:14. Finally, it fell to time trial specialist Olano to set the first real mark of 11:00, but his hopes of yellow faded as first Boardman, then Berzin, and finally Zulle, decisively bettered the Mapei man’s time.
Those who saw Indurain clamber into the Banesto team coach immediately beyond the line recognized that the Spaniard had not held back towards the finish, even though he had posted only the eleventh best intermediate time. Zulle, meanwhile, had come back from the fifth best time at the halfway point to pip Boardman at the post and was quick to acknowledge that he had scored a psychological blow for ONCE in their long-running inter-Spanish rivalry with Banesto. "Sure, it’s good psychologically," acknowledged the 27-year-old Swiss. "But this is a specialist’s test and over three weeks it doesn'‘t affect the outcome of the race. I’ll have to be very wary from now on if I want to keep the jersey until the Alps, because there are lots of time bonuses on the way there and the sprinters will be keen to take advantage of them."
For his part, Boardman admitted his disappointment and acknowledged his anxiety to avoid a repetition of last year’s accident. "Of course it was on my mind," he said. "But Zulle is a very good short time trialist, he’s in great form and he’s come to the Tour without having over-raced."
So the battle between Indurain and the ONCE team has begun. The team known as the "yellow peril" placed five riders in the top 20 and three in the top 10, while Indurain finds himself isolated and without a teammate in the top 50. Whether Berzin, Boardman and Bjarne Riis are also to play a major part in the events of the next week or so remains to be seen.
Prologue
s'Hertegenbosch 9.40-km time trial
1. Alex Zulle (Switz), ONCE in 10: 53 (ave. speed 51.822 kph)
2. Chris Boardman (GB), GAN at 0:02
3. Evgeni Berzin (Rus), Gewiss 0:03
4. Abraham Olano (Sp), Mapei/GB 0:07
5. Tony Rominger (Switz), Mapei 0:10
6. Bjarne Riis (Den), Telekom 0:11
7. Miguel Indurain (Sp), Banesto 0:12
8. Laurent Jalabert (Fr), ONCE 0:15
9. Melchor Mauri (Sp), ONCE 0:21
10. Alexandre Gontchenkov (Rus), Roslotto 0:22
TOUR NEWS
Dublin In 1998?
Rumors in the French press continue to indicate that the 1998 Tour de France will begin in Dublin, Ireland. 1987 Tour de France winner Stephen Roche has been one of the prime movers behind the idea and is thought to have convinced the Tour organization to go ahead with the plan, although both Roche and race director Jean Marie Leblanc refused to confirm or deny the suggestion. If the Tour does indeed start in Ireland that year, Dublin is expected to host the prologue time trial and at least one road stage prior to a transfer by plane and ferry to Brittany, in northwest France, for the team time trial.
Rominger Targets Olympic Track Events
Switzerland’s Tony Rominger, World Hour record holder and leader of the Italian team Mapei/GB, is making plans to compete in the individual time trial and pursuit events at the Atlanta Olympics. "I’m ready to give everything for the Tour but if it escapes me, I’ll go for it at the Olympics," said the 35-year-old. ""The road race doesn’t interest me, though. I’ll line up for the time trial and if that goes well then try for a ‘double’ at the pursuit."
MADOUAS AND OCHOWICZ STICK TOGETHER
The U.S.-based Motorola squad may be looking for a new sponsor for 1997, but manager Jim Ochowicz continues to inspire great faith among his charges. "There are three teams interested in me," said the team’s French climber Laurent Madouas, "but I’ve got a lot of confidence in Jim Ochowicz. He’s very hopeful of finding a new sponsor and I very much like being a part of this team."
IN BRIEF ...
* "Jaja" in short: French star Laurent Jalabert is starting his sixth Tour de France; to date, his best finish was fourth overall in 1995. He has won the points competition twice; he has won two stages (Brussels in 1992 and Mende in 1995) and spent two days in the yellow jersey in 1995.
* "Big Mig" in short; Miguel Indurain is starting his 12th Tour; he has worn yellow for 60 days to date; has won 12 stages in those 12 Tours; has abandoned the race twice (in 1985 and 1986) and has won the Tour for the past five years (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995).
Tour Diary: Prologue, s’Hertegenbosch, Holland. Today the Tour saw heavy rain, grey skies, a stiff breeze and the promise of more wet weather to come, but then it is still June in northern Europe, and the Tour de France is beginning a week earlier than usual to avoid a clash of dates with the Atlanta Olympics. While the Tour de France caravan puts the finishing touches to the world greatest "road movie," the eyes of European sports fans switch from soccer’s European Championships to Miguel Indurain’s bid to become the sole member of a highly exclusive club, as the only man to win the Tour de France six times. "Five wins, or six wins," said the Spanish star. "It doesn’t really change anything. When I’ve been concentrating hard on my preparation, I don’t worry about things like that."
In the Dutch town of s’Hertegenbosch the Tour de France has been taken to heart. The town center was closed to all traffic as the 198 starters for this year’s Tour rode gently through the streets on a fresh Saturday morning after making their final preparations for the afternoon’s 9.4-kilometer prologue. GAN’s Chris Boardman may have woken up in his team hotel as the favorite for the first "maillot jaune" of this year’s Tour, but anxiety among the press grew as the rain fell steadily and memories of Boardman’s reckless crash in Britanny, on the opening night of last year’s Tour, came flooding back.
Still, the arrival of the Tour in Holland was treated as a cause for celebration, despite the lack of a Dutch challenger for overall victory. The local authority, after providing an endless buffet to those following the race, even offered bicycles to the press corps as the most convenient method of hopping from press room to start and finish line. Unsurprisingly, after such a generous lunch, few were keen to take up the offer ....
So the Grande Boucle (the Big Loop) sets off once more, with five borders en route, 22 days of racing and 21 categorized mountain passes to be climbed - a daunting task to most of those rolling down the start ramp in the Brabanthallen Hall in s'Hertegenbosch.
One man knows better than most not to be put off by the size of the task ahead. At the eye of the Tour’s frenzied storm of activity is the serene figure of Miguel Indurain, who, in spite of rumors of imminent retirement, is already talking of possible victory in 1997.
"If I still feel strong, I’ll be here again at the Tour in 1997," said the 31-year-old. "But not just to ride another Tour. Like this year, if I’m there I’ll be there to win."