Schumacher Wins the French Grand Prix

Michael Schumacher won the French Grand Prix, his sixth victory in seven races, to overshadow the return of Nigel Mansell to Formula One racing Sunday.

Mansell, making a “guest appearance” because there was no conflicting Indy-car race, dropped out midway through the 190.18-mile race at Magny Cours.

Schumacher drove his Benetton-Ford to victory a 12.642-second victory over Mansell’s Williams-Renault teammate, Damon Hill.

With track temperatures as high as 122 degrees, only 11 of 26 starters were running when the race ended after 72 laps over a 2.641-mile course.

Schumacher, who started third behind Hill and Mansell, took the lead before the cars hit the first turn and gave up the top spot only during an exchange of pit stops with Hill.

“I couldn’t have done any better,” Schumacher said. “I think Nigel had a little mistake, but my start was perfect.”

Schumacher averaged 115.75 m.p.h. in a race that took 1 hour 38 minutes 35.704 seconds.

Cycling

A spectacular fall near the finish of the first stage of the Tour de France sent two top riders to the hospital.

Belgium’s Wilifried Nilissen was battling for the lead with less than 50 meters left when he hit a policeman at the side of the course and took down several other riders behind him.

France’s Laurent Jalabert was right behind him and tumbled on his head. He had blood on his uniform as he was taken away in an ambulance. Organizers said he suffered nose and jaw injuries and broken teeth. Nilissen had a slight concussion.

Djamoldine Abdoujaparov of Uzbekistan won the stage, while Chris Boardman of Britain retained the overall lead.

Favorites Miguel Indurain and Tony Rominger were in the pack and did not lose any time to the leader. Indurain was ninth and Rominger 45th, but both were given the same time as most of the others, and the overall standings changed little.

Indurain is second, 15 seconds back of Boardman and four seconds ahead of Rominger in third. World champion Lance Armstrong of the United States was 22nd and three-time winner Greg LeMond was 26th.

Sunday’s stage was 145 miles, from Lille to Armentieres. Today’s second stage, from Roubaix to Boulogne-sur-Mer, is 126 miles. The 2,479-mile race ends July 24 in Paris.

Colleges

The FBI has subpoenaed documents obtained by the Southwest Conference during its investigation of the Baylor basketball program, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Sources told the Chronicle that the FBI wants to know how former Baylor star Jerome Lambert turned in a term paper he did not write for course credit at an Arkansas junior college last spring.

Miscellany

The United States dominated the Henley Royal Regatta, winning four gold medals in eight events, including the Grand Cup, the most prestigious event of the 155-year-old regatta.

Victory in the Grand Cup was achieved with unexpected ease by the national heavyweight eight, Charles River and San Diego, against the French national crew, Sport Nautique Compiegne and Societe d’Encouragement du Sport.

Any race won by more than five lengths at Henley is described as “easily,” and is not officially measured. This was the first time in 30 years the Grand Cup has had such a result, with observers saying the Americans won by up to eight lengths.

Top-seeded Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan, both of San Diego, defended their Reebok Shootout title on Easton’s Beach in Newport, R.I., finishing with a 7-0 record in the round-robin event.

In the final, they defeated Barbara Fontana of Hermosa Beach and Lori Kotas-Forsythe of Encinitas, Calif., 15-4, to earn their fifth consecutive major title since becoming partners in April of 1993.