THE SIDELINES : Tough Schedule Suits LeMond

A tough schedule for next year’s Tour de France was announced today, and Greg LeMond said the prospect of only one rest day improved his chances for winning the cycling race for a fourth time.

“The 1991 Tour is ideal for me since there’s no day off before the first time trial,” LeMond said at the announcement of the route and schedule.

The 1991 race will have one transfer day instead of the usual two. It will also have a time trial on the next-to-last day, a scenario that this year helped LeMond win the world’s top cycling race for the third time.

Next year’s tour is 2,462 miles long, over a counterclockwise route around France starting in Lyon on July 6. It ends July 28 in Paris with the traditional rides up and down the Champs Elysees.