Spain's Miguel Indurain wants not only a three-peat, but something no one in cycling has ever accomplished - the "double-double."
Indurain is the overwhelming favorite to win his third straight Tour de France, which begins today, after easily winning his second straight Tour of Italy in June.Only Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault won the Tour of Italy and the Tour de France in the same year more than once. Neither did it in consecutive years, but now Indurain takes his shot at the "double-double."
The last to achieve a three-peat in the Tour de France was Belgium's Merckx, who won four straight in 1969-72.
The race begins in western France and follows a 2,312-mile clockwise route around the country, ending July 25 in Paris.
Indurain's plan: Stay close on the flats and in the mountains and demolish the field in the individual time trials.
The first time trial is July 12 at Lac de Madine in eastern France. The second is July 24, a 30-mile stage just south of Paris.
Both stages are flat, good for a powerful "roller" like Indurain, who has won every major time trial over the past two years in both Italy and France.
One possible problem would be a poor showing by his Banesto squad in the July 7 team time trial. That would give other contenders a chance to gain valuable time on Indurain in the 50-mile fourth stage from Dinard to Avranches.
"Everything will be known if, in the first individual time trial, I make up the difference," Indurain said.
Indurain's top rivals are Italians Claudio Chiappucci and Gianni Bugno and Swiss racers Tony Rominger and Alex Zulle.
"I hope Miguel goes slower than in Italy, especially in the mountains," said Chiappucci, who won the best climbing award in the past two Tours. "I also hope more people join me in attacking him when possible."
Bugno feels he is ready.
"It's a good tour, a well-designed course, on which I want to do well and avenge my failure in the Tour of Italy," he said.
Rominger, who won the Tour of Spain for a second straight year, is rated a strong contender although his best finish in France was 57th in 1990.
Indurain's seeming invincibility reminds people of American Greg LeMond, who won three titles in France. Health problems and age seem to have caught up with the 32-year-old LeMond, who is skipping this year's race after finishing seventh in 1991 and dropping out last year in the 14th stage.
Without LeMond, the only Americans who could be close to the leaders are veteran Andy Hampsten and rookie Lance Armstrong.
The Tour traces a northern route until the first time trial. Then there's a transfer to the mountain stages beginning July 14. A southern route through Marseille and Montpellier brings the cyclists to the Pyrenees on July 19. After a rest day in Andorra, the riders have two more days in the mountains before heading to Bordeaux.
After that it's a quick train transfer to the last time trial before finishing in Paris.