FRANCE: RICHARD VIRENQUE ARRIVES IN PUY DU FOU ONE DAY BEFORE THE START OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE

Record ID: 646336

  • Title: FRANCE: RICHARD VIRENQUE ARRIVES IN PUY DU FOU ONE DAY BEFORE THE START OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE
  • Date: 2nd July 1999
  • Summary: PUY DU FOU, FRANCE (JULY 2) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE VIEW OF PUY DU FOU 2. TEAMS'S TRUCKS PARKED AT DEPARTURE POINT 3. RICHARD VIRENQUE ARRIVING AND GETTING ONTO POLTI TEAM BUS 4. CASINO TEAM ARRIVING AT MEDICAL CENTER 5. ONCE TEAM ARRIVING 6. ONCE SPORTS DIRECTOR MANOLO SAIZ ARRIVING 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ONCE SPORTS DIRECTOR MANOLO SAIZ SAYING: "We are here to run in the Tour. We have had a very difficult year and now it is the time to speak strictly about sports. The important thing now is who is going to win the first stage tomorrow, and then whoever wins that stage will merit all the honours because he will have trained one whole year for that. After that, I hope we will only talk about the sport itself". 8. BYCICLES PARKED 9. ALEX ZUELLE ARRIVING 10. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALEX ZUELLE SAYING: "I think for me the most important thing is the first 9 or 10 days. If I am doing fine those first days, everything is possible, if I tired, then it becomes very hard. There is no security, but the team is good and we have all the faith". 11. ALEX ZUELLE LEAVING ON BIKE 12. (SOUNDBITE) (French) BOBBY JULICH SAYING: "The life of a cyclist changes fast, just because the other two favourites are not here it does not mean I will win. I'd like to talk with my legs and my body and not with my words right now". 13. TWO CYCLISTS ON THEIR BIKES 14. ONE CYCLIST LEAVING ON BIKE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 17th July 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LE PUY DU FOU, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVAEIG71ZGJEKM4Q5FNVCMSWU9GN
  • Story Text: The four-times king of the mountains on the Tour de
    France, Richard Virenque, has arrived in Puy du Fou, in a real
    frenetic atmosphere, one day before the start of the race on
    Saturday (July 3).

    Richard Virenque, who was reinstated after being
    banned from the 1999 edition of the Tour de France, was the
    centre of attention when he arrived on Friday (July 2), at Puy
    de Fou, to begin passing through race medical control one day
    ahead of the start of the race.

    Virenque rushed into the building, ignoring the press who
    was trying to get some comments from him.

    On Thursday (July 1), a car from Virenque's cycling team
    Polti heading from Paris to the starting point of the race was
    stopped and searched by French customs officers on the
    motorway between Paris and Nantes but according to team
    manager Gianluigi Stanga, no products were seized.

    At the medical centre, Alex Zuelle, running for Banesto
    and one of the Tour de France favourites, stressed that the
    most important for him was the first few days of the race.

    "If I am doing fine those first few days, everything is
    possible, if I'm tired, then it becomes very hard" he said.

    Zuelle pointed out that his team was good and all the team
    members had plenty of confidence.

    Another favourite, Bobby Julich running for Cofidis said
    that the absence of the two favourites (Marco Pantani and Jan
    Ullrich) did not mean he would win the Tour de France.

    The Polti team leader is controversial Frenchman Richard
    Virenque, currently charged in the Festina doping scandal
    which rocked the Tour de France last year.

    The Tour will start at Puy-du-Fou in western France on
    Saturday and will end in Paris on July 25.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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