Sports Listings: Plan ahead

GRAEME OBREE, the Scottish cyclist gave the southern Norwegian town of Hamar a place in his sport's history when he broke the world hour track record there earlier this month. Next month, Hamar is the venue for the track events of the World Championships. Oslo, 150km to the south, hosts the road races and the championships are from 17 to 29 August.

Britain will have a formidable presence in the 4,000m individual pursuit, when Chris Boardman, the Olympic gold medallist at this discipline who broke Obree's record in Bordeaux on Friday, teams up with Obree and Shaun Wallace. Britain are also represented in every road event except the women's time trial.

The track championships take place from 17 to 22 August in a specially contructed velodrome inside the Olympic Hall at Hamar. There is, however, seating for only 2,500 around the 250m track. The five road races take place in the capital, starting and finishing in City Hall Square. The women's 50km (9am) and men's 100km (11.30am) time trials are on Wednesday, 25 August and head west from City Hall to Asker on the E18 motorway. On Saturday, 28 August, the women's 92km (10am) and amateur men's 184km (1pm) road races take place, followed by the professional men's 257km race (10am) on the Sunday.

The road races consist of varying number of laps over the 18.4km circuit around Oslo. It is possible to watch the races from the streets, particularly the final winding stretch. For the price of a seat or standing at the start/finish area, huge video screens will relay the races.

Sporting Tours, of West Yorkshire, specialise in cycling tours and have two packages available. The weekend visit includes three nights in Oslo for the three road races and costs pounds 329 per person for three-star hotel accommodation or pounds 250 for a log cabin and self-catering. The seven-nights trip to Oslo takes in the time-trials and the road races, and bikes can be brought. The price is pounds 499 or pounds 299. Unfortunately, the company has not had enough interest for tours to Hamar to watch Boardman and Co, though Boardman rides in the team time trial in Oslo.

World Cycling Championships, 17-29 August, Hamar and Oslo, Norway.

Tickets: Track events (Hamar, 17-22 August): NKr150 ( pounds 14) per day or Nkr200 to include opening ceremony on first day of competition. Road races (Oslo, 25, 28-29 August): Nkr250 Grandstand seat (start/finish); Nkr100 standing (start/finish). 30 per cent discount on all six track days and five road races. Sykel-VM '93, Postkasse 101, Oslo City 0050, Oslo, Norway. (Tel: 010 47 22 17 55 30 or fax 22 17 55 31).

Sporting Tours, 21 Manor Gardens, Pool-in-Wharfedale, near Otley, West Yorkshire LS21 1NB (Tel: 0532-843617).

Norwegian Tourist Boad, Charles House, 5-11 Lower Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LX (071-839 6255).

Details of forthcoming events with information on tickets and venues should be sent to The Sports Desk, The Independent, 40 City Road, London EC1Y 2DB or faxed to 071-956 1894.