TOUR DE FRANCE : Indurain Gets Off to Good Start

Defending champion Miguel Indurain of Spain opened the 79th Tour de France on Saturday with a two-second victory in a five-mile individual time trial on a day overshadowed by a bombing near San Sebastian, Spain.

Indurain, 27, the world’s strongest road racer, won the Tour prologue around the Bay of La Concha in 9 minutes 22 seconds after the second bomb in two days exploded near the northern Spanish resort city. Alex Zuelle of Switzerland, a rookie professional, was second and Thierry Marie of France was third.

Police said a grenade-like device destroyed seven cars in Fuenterrabia, a town about 14 miles from San Sebastian. Three of the cars belonged to British television crews assigned to cover the Tour.

A bomb in an underground parking garage that destroyed two cars Friday near race headquarters was credited to a sympathizer of the Basque separatist organization ETA, which has waged clandestine warfare against Spain and France for 20 years. No one was injured in either attack.

Indurain, born in nearby Villava, is the only Basque to win the Tour de France. His appearance attracted thousands of Spanish supporters to San Sebastian’s white-sand beaches to watch the 198 riders begin the grueling 21-day Tour.

Indurain, riding for the strong Spanish team, Banesto, was the last to start on an overcast, cool afternoon as the cyclists began in one-minute intervals in reverse order from last year’s finish. Indurain, who won the Tour of Italy two weeks ago, averaged speeds faster than 30 m.p.h. on the twisting course.

Indurain’s strong showing left other favorites at a disadvantage. Raul Alcala of Mexico, riding for the Dutch team PDM, was 12 seconds behind in seventh place, with Gianni Bugno of Italy, last year’s runner-up, eighth in the same time. Alcala’s teammate, Erik Breukink of the Netherlands, was 14 seconds behind in 11th. Three-time winner Greg LeMond also was 14 seconds behind, but in 15th. Claudio Chiappucci of Italy, another Tour favorite, was 59th, 30 seconds behind Indurain.

“One cannot hope to do better at the start of the Tour,” Indurain told reporters after narrowly overcoming Zuelle’s lead.

The 22 nine-rider teams will brace for another protest bombing today during the 122-mile first stage that goes through the heart of Basque territory. Some officials believe the bombings are a prelude to violence for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and the World’s Fair in Seville.

Once the Tour moves to France on Monday, race officials might have to contend with yet another group of protesters. French truck drivers have set up a blockade on roads leading south and west from Paris. The dispute over penalties for traffic violations has stranded thousands of tourists.