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Sluggish start for ProTour
http://www.sina.com.cn 2005/03/15 18:35  Shanghai Daily

  The ProTour's debut in last week's Paris-Nice race was not exactly a false start for the revamped cycling circuit but it has taken time to move into first gear.

  American Bobby Julich became the first winner of a ProTour stage race and made it clear he was not quite up to date with the new formula.

  "I was a bit surprised at the finish to get the ProTour jersey. It's a little bit early to tell what that means," he said.

  "But since it seems it's going to be the future of cycling in general, it's a honor to win it.

  "I'm not a 100 percent sure about the ins and outs of the ProTour. But I'd rather it be me and my team CSC than anybody else being the first winners," he added.

  The ProTour is an attempt to bring back the old days of cycling when rider's like Eddy Merckx could win races from March to September.

  The heads of the International Cycling Union could have wished for a more prestigious champion to inaugurate their ProTour.

  Six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong was at least at the start of Paris-Nice to pay his dues to the new circuit, but he was too off-form to play a leading role, quitting halfway through.

  But Julich amply deserved to strike victory at last after being seen as the future of the sport seven years ago when finishing third in the Tour.

  Julich's win was also a further sign of the strength of his CSC team, whose Italian leader Ivan Basso was Armstrong's main rival in the Tour last year.

  Second was Spain's Alejandro Valverde, hailed by the cycling world as one of the riders most likely to take over once Armstrong's reign ends.

  (Reuters)




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