They're Off!

"What a day! What a battle! A fireworks, an explosion, six hours of relentless fighting, six hours of violent breakaways, of frantic pursuits, of spectacular escapes!" This had nothing to do with Korea or Indo-China. It was a French sportwriter just wanning up to the famed

Tour de France, the month-long bicycle race that attracts the world's largest crowds.

Flanked and followed by 360 cars, trucks and ambulances, containing doctors, managers, officials, timekeepers, mechanics, journalists, wives and mistresses, 123 racing cyclists of eight nations* last week began the 2,900-mile marathon that started in Metz, will cut through a corner of Belgium, down the middle of France to Marseille and the Riviera, back through Geneva to the finish line in Paris. Along the route some 20 million fans will shout themselves hoarse with cries of "Allez Bo-bet!", "Vas-y Barbotin!") "Bonne chance, Louis!"

Last year emotion ran so high that French crowds yelled "Macaroni!" and "Dirty Fascists!" at the Italian team, and one superheated patriot knocked veteran Gino Bartali off his bike. The outraged Italian team withdrew, and the French Foreign Ministry sent formal regrets to the Italian ambassador. Tempers have since simmered down, but this year's route bypasses Italy, just in case of reprisals.

At the end of each day's lap, the panting winner is warmly bussed by the local beauty queen, wined & dined by the citizenry and allowed to wear the coveted yellow sweater (le maillot jaune). The eventual winner of the yellow sweater stands to gain some 5,000,000 /rancs ($15,000) in prize money and commercial premiums. When Italy's Bartali won in 1948, the Pope himself sent a telegram of congratulation and blessing.

*The eight: France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Spain and North Africa.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.