The World Cup consists of 10 races in the spring and fall. Competition will be amongst racers in the 22 first division
teams, as determined by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), including the U.S. Postal Service team. Each team may
have up to eight riders participate per race. To qualify for a final World Cup standing, a rider must compete in at least six
out of the ten races, and his team must start at least eight of the races. Points are awarded to the top 25 finishers in each
event. First place receives 100 points, down to 1 point for 25th place.
Last year's (1998) winners were: (1st) Michele Bartoli, (2nd) Leon Van Bon, (3rd) Andrea Tafi.
Here are this year's (1999) events:
Milan-San Remo, Italy
Distance: 183 mi (294km)
When:Sat, March 20
Course: From Milan to San Remo on the Mediterranean sea. Contains two major climbs - Cipressa (790ft) and Poggio
(530ft) in the latter part of the race. Poggio's descent is followed by a flat 3.3km to the finish.
1998 Winner: Erik Zabel
1997 Winner: Erik Zabel
Tour Of Flanders, Belgium
Distance: 172 mi (277km)
When: Sun, April 4
Course: From Bruges to Meerbeke, near Brussels. Contains five short climbs, most noticeable are: hill #7 - Old
Kwaremont; hill #10 - Taaienberg; and hill #14 - Muur. The race finishes slightly uphill.
1998 Winner: Johan Museeuw
1997 Winner: Rolf Sorenson
Paris-Roubaix, France
Distance: 166 mi (267km)
When: Sun, April 11
Course: From Compiégne, an hour northeast of Paris to Roubaix, which is between Lille and the border with
Belgium. This famous race contains 27 sections of cobblestone, totaling about 30 miles of the latter half of the course.
The section through the Wallers-Arenberd Forest is particularly treacherous.
1998 Winner: Franco Ballerini
1997 Winner: Frédéric Guesdon
Liége-Bastogne-Liége, Belgium
Distance: 165 mi (265.5km)
When: Sun, April 18
Course: The hilliest of the spring classics. 13 climbs, 11 of which are in the latter half of the race. Major climbs are both
Stockeu and Haute Levée in the town of Stavelot - a mean combination, and a 20% grade climb, La Redoute, just
after Remouchamps. The race finishes flat in Ans, a suburb of Liége, after a rough 1km climb.
1998 Winner: Michele Bartoli
1997 Winner: Michele Bartoli
Amstel Gold Race, Netherlands
Distance: 160 mi (258km)
When: Sun, April 24
Course: Start and finish in Maastricht, near the Belgian border. Major climbs: Valkenburg, 37 miles from the end; and
Halembaye, near the end. The finish is flat.
1998 Winner: Rolf Jarmann
1997 Winner: Bjarne Riis
Clasica San Sebastian, Spain
Distance: 144 mi (232km)
When: Sat, August 7
Course: Starting and finishing in San Sebastian, a coastal resort town, this race makes a counter-clockwise loop through
northern Spain and into the mountains to the south. The most crucial climb, about 16 miles from the finish, is Alto de
Jaizkibel, which towers above the Bay of Biscay near France. The finish is flat.
1998 Winner: Francesco Casagrande
1997 Winner: Davide Rebellin
Hew-Cyclassics Cup, Germany
Distance: 157 mi (253km)
When: Sun, August 15
Course: A relatively new race (started in 1996), consisting of several loops of rolling hills through many streets of
Hamburg. This is only it's second year as a World Cup race.
1998 Winner: Leon Van Bolt
1997 Winner: Jan Ullrich
Grand Prix Suisse, Switzerland
Distance: 140 mi (225km)
When: Sun, August 22
Course: Known until 1996 as the Championship of Zurich, this race, first run in 1910, consists of five grueling laps of a
28 mile (45km) circuit, starting and ending on the Zurich lakefront.
1998 Winner: Michele Bartoli
1997 Winner: Davide Rebellin
Paris-Tours, France
Distance: 158 mi (254.5km)
When: Sun, October 3
Course: From the southwest suburbs of Paris to Tours on the Loire River. A rather flat course, this is often a sprinter's
race, especially if there is a headwind. However, if the wind is calm, or is there is a tailwind, breakaways are possible.
1998 Winner: Jacky Durand
1997 Winner: Andrei Tchmil
Tour of Lombardy, Italy
Distance: 157 mi (253km)
When: Sun, October 16
Course: From Varese to Bergamo, this course is the only classic that has any real mountain climbs. The crucial climb is
Roncala, northwest of Bergamo. This race also contains the famous Madonna del Ghisallo climb to 2473 feet.