CYCLING / TOUR DE FRANCE : Indurain Gets Back in the Driver’s Seat

Miguel Indurain of Spain started this year’s Tour de France the way he ended last year’s--in the leader’s yellow jersey.

Indurain powered through the opening prologue Saturday, winning by eight seconds in 8 minutes 12 seconds over the 4.2-mile circuit.

Switzerland’s Alex Zulle, who was expected to give Indurain a close battle in the short prologue, finished second.

“I didn’t think about taking the yellow jersey in the prologue,” Indurain said. “But I found myself doing well, especially in the climb. I finished very strong.”

Gianni Bugno of Italy was third, 11 seconds behind Indurain, an unexpectedly strong finish for the two-time world champion over the short distance.

Thierry Marie of France, a prologue specialist, was fourth, 13 seconds back.

The tough racing begins today, with a 134-mile leg. The Tour, a 2,312-mile clockwise journey around France, ends in Paris on July 25.

Indurain won the opening prologue last year and went on to a second consecutive Tour de France title.

His impressive showing in Saturday’s race didn’t give his opponents much hope. Indurain increased his advantage over the final two miles of the prologue.

Indurain’s plan is simple: stay close on the flats and in the mountains and demolish the field in the individual time trials.

“I wasn’t looking for a big thing to impress my opponents,” Indurain said. “I just wanted to do well from the start. I didn’t expect the differences to be so big.”

He should be confident. He has won every major time trial during the past two years.

Indurain’s invincibility is similar to the mystique that surrounded Greg LeMond when he won his three Tour de France titles.

Poor health and age seem to have caught up with LeMond and he is not competing this year after placing seventh in 1991 and dropping out last year in the 14th stage.

The top Americans are veteran Andy Hampsten and rookie Lance Armstrong. Hampsten, who was fourth overall last year, finished 36th, 36 seconds behind Indurain. Armstrong was 81st, 47 seconds back.

Armstrong, 21, is the youngest rider in the 180-man field. His Motorola team directors have said they intend to give him only a taste of the Tour to avoid burning him out.

The Tour traces a northern route until the first time trial, July 12. The race then transfers to the mountain stages beginning July 14 for three days in the Alps.

A southern route through Marseille and Montpellier brings the cyclists to the Pyrenees July 19. After a rest day, the Tour has another two days in the mountains before heading to Bordeaux.

After that it’s a quick train transfer to the next-to-last day time trial July 24 before finishing in Paris.