Sports Listings / Plan Ahead: World Cycling Championships

AS the Tour de France caravan returns across the Channel for the run to Rennes, Sicily is preparing for its own cycling event, the World Championships, which will be held at four venues on the Italian island next month.

The track competitions will take place in Palermo from 15 to 20 August; Palermo also stages the two team time trials, the men's 100km and the women's 50km, on Sunday, 21 August. The individual road race championships for amateurs and women are at Capo d'Orlando, east of Palermo on the northern coast road to Messina. Catania, on the east coast is the venue for the individual time trials on 25 August.

The highlight of the road championships on Sunday, 28 August, is the professionals' race, with names like Miguel Indurain and Claudio Chiappucci. It will be held in Agrigento, a small fishing village on the south coast.

Sporting Tours, of West Yorkshire, specialises in cycling tours and has two packages covering the road racing championships. The three-night weekend visit takes in the professionals' race; The seven-night tour is split, with three days at Capo d'Orlando for the amateur and women's races and four days in Agrigento for the professionals' race. Sporting Tours also offers the option of bringing your bicycle, which proved popular at last year's Championships in Norway. Visitors can ride the circuit on the training day before the professionals' race.

Accommodation, particularly for the professionals' race, will be in demand as cycling is a popular sport in Italy. The Italian State Tourist Board provides free information on Sicily, where the average temperature in August is 26C.

World Cycling Championships, Palermo, Capo d'Orlando, Catania and Agrigento, Sicily, Italy, 15-28 August.

Sporting Tours, 21 Manor Gardens, Pool-in-Wharfedale, near Otley, West Yorkshire LS21 1NB (Tel: 0532-843617). Seven-night tour (23-30 August; includes return flight from Gatwick to Catania and transfer by coach from Capo d'Orlando to Agrigento): pounds 569. Weekend visit (27-30 August): pounds 399.

Italian State Tourist Office, 1 Princes Street, London W1R 8AY (Tel: 071-408 1254).

In Sicily: Tourist Office, Piazza Castelnuovo 35, Palermo (Tel: 010 39 91 586122; fax 331854).

Tourist Office, Via Calabria Isolato 301/BIS, Messina (Tel: 010 39 90 775356; fax 601005.

Tourist Office, Viale della Vittoria 255, Agrigento (Tel: 010 39 922 421352; fax 25185).