Sciandri raises Britain's status
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Your support makes all the difference.Cycling
ROBIN NICHOLL
with the Tour de France
Max Sciandri's victory at St Etienne yesterday was greeted rapturously in three countries. It was perfect for the Derby-born rider who has lived in Italy for most of his 28 years, has an Italian wife and two children, and whose Italian father has restaurants in Los Angeles.
Sciandri finished too strongly for the Colombian, Hernan Buenahora, in the Cours Fauriel Boulevard after they had shared the lead for the final 60km of the 192km (124 miles) from Bourg- d'Oisans at the foot of the Alps.
Chasing behind, more than two and a half minutes later, came the remnants of the eight-strong group from which the pair had departed on the major climb of Col de l'Oeillon. It was no threat to the yellow jersey of the Tour leader, Miguel Indurain, so he allowed it to develop.
"Is this a victory for Italy or Britain?" they asked Sciandri, who has won stages in the Tour of Italy. "It's a victory for Max Sciandri," fired back the man who wants to compete in the Atlanta Olympics for Britain. "I have lived all my life in Italy, I feel Italian, but I have been forced into this position."
Although racing for an Italian team, MG Technogym, he has failed to win the confidence of Alfredo Martini, the Italian national team chief.
Sciandri changed from the American-sponsored Motorola in 1993 to join a team with Italian influence in a last fruitless effort to sway Martini. So the frustrated rider with two passports took out a British racing licence this season to win selection for the national team in the road race World Championship in Colombia in October.
"I have given up trying to get selection for Italy," he said. "When I was riding well they still did not seem interested. Above all else I want to compete in the Olympics."
When he heard that the British Federation was trying to raise pounds 30,000 towards their World Championship funds, Sciandri was ready to pay his own way to South America. "I want to go, and it is not a financial problem for me," he said. "I want to go for myself, for Britain, and for my team.
"I missed the British championship because I was at a Tour de France training camp with my team," he said, but the federation president, Ian Emmerson, has said that Sciandri is "already on our possibles list."
"He has to meet strict Olympic eligibility requirements," Doug Dailey, the British national coach, has said. "Then as long as he rides some of our selection races, he will have my support."
Sciandri admits he does not know the words of "God Save The Queen", and yesterday's press conference became an Italian job. The first question came in French, so he answered in English. Everything thereafter was tutti Italiani.
TOUR DE FRANCE Stage 11 (Bourg-d'Oisans to St Etienne, 192km, 124.4 miles): 1 M Sciandri (GB) MG Technogym 4hr 43min 15sec; 2 H Buenahora (Col) Kelme same time; 3 R Aldag (Ger) Telekom-ZG +2:41; 4 A Tafi (It) Mapei GB) s/t; 5 E Breukink (Neth) ONCE +2:50; 6 A de las Cuevas (Fr) Castorama +5:31; 7 L Jalabert (Fr) ONCE +5:52; 8 D Abdoujaparov (Uzbek) Novell; 9 V Ekimov (Rus) Novell; 10 V Poulnikov (Ukr) Telekom-ZG; 11 G Colombo (It) Gewiss- Ballan; 12 G Bouvard (Fr) Chazal; 13 C Chiappucci (It) Carrera; 14 B Riis (Den) Gewiss-Ballan; 15 Y Ledanois (Fr) GAN; 16 P Lanfranchi (It) Brescialat); 17 H D Zabala (Sp) ONCE; 18 E Dekker (Neth) Novell; 19 M Mauri (Sp) ONCE; 20 M Lelli (It) Mercatone Uno all s/t. Selected: 71 S Yates (GB) Motorola +11:02.
Leading overall standings: 1 M Indurain (Sp) Banesto 47hr 22min 5sec; 2 A Zulle (Swit) ONCE +2:27; 3 B Riis (Den) Gewiss-Ballan +6:00; 4 T Rominger (Swit) Mapei GB +8:19; 5 I Gotti (It) Gewiss-Ballan) +8:20; 6 Jalabert +9:16; 7 M Pantani (It) Carrera +12:38; 8 Mauri +12:49; 9 P Tonkov (Rus) Lampre 12:58; 10 F Escartin (Sp) Mapei GB +13:43; 11 Chiappucci +14:10; 12 R Virenque (Fr) Festina +15:46; 13 L Madouas (Fr) Castorama +16:17; 14 Breukink +17:11; 15 L Dufaux (Swit) Festina +18:13; 16 P Lanfranchi (It) Brescialat +19:19; 17 A Mejia (Col) Motorola 19:42; 18 J Bruyneel (Bel) ONCE +20:09; 19 B Thibout (Fr) Castorama +21:24; 20 V Aparicio (Sp) Banesto +23:08. Selected: 48 Sciandri +54:09; 85 Yates +1hr 32min 48sec.
Points classification: 1 Jalabert 200pts; 2 Abdoujaparov 182; 3 Indurain 117. King of the Mountains: 1 Virenque 217pts; 2 Zulle 148; 3 Indurain 120. Leading overall team standings: 1 ONCE 142hr 23min 13sec; 2 Gewiss- Ballan +23min 38sec; 3 Mapei GB +30:47.
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