Tour to take Indurain near home town

Cycling

Miguel Indurain, the winner of the last five Tours de France, will be able to visit his home town during next year's race. The route for the 1996 race, announced yesterday, starts in the Netherlands, goes through Belgium and then loops clockwise around France with a small excursion to Pamplona, Spain, near Indurain's home.

The race, which starts on 29 June, covers around 2,385 miles, ending at the Champs Elysees on 21 July. There are 21 stages with a prologue and a rest day.

The annual award for the best young rider in the Tour will be named after Fabio Casartelli, the Italian rider for the Motorola team who died in a crash on a descent in the Pyrenees.

The Tour will end a week earlier than usual because of the Olympics. That will allow time for the cyclists to make their way to Atlanta, where professionals will compete for the first time.

Tour route, Sporting Digest, page 31