CROWDS AT STADIUM; ARRIVAL OF BLAWDZIN; DANGUILLAUME BEING GREETED, RECEIVING LAURELS; SECOND AND THIRD WINNERS ON ROSTRUM; EAST GERMAN TEAM WITH GARLANDS ON TRACK.




Initials MJS/V/JH/MJB


SPORT: CYCLE RACING

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Background: JEAN PIERRE DANGUILLAUME, FROM FRANCE, HAD A DOUBLE CELEBRATION LAST NIGHT (MAY 25). HE WAS 23 YEARS OLD, AND HE HAD JUS WON THE WARSAW-BERLIN INTERNATIONAL PEACE CYCLE RACE.

DANGUILLAUME WAS OVERALL INDIVIDUAL WINNER OF THE 1,250 MILE (2,030 KM.) RACE. HE HAD HELD THE LEAD FOR THE LAST FIVE STAGES, CHALLENGED ONLY BY RYSZARD SZUROWSKI OF POLAND, WHO TRAILED THE FRENCHMAN 42 SECONDS BEHIND AFTER DANGUILLAUME PASSED HIM IN THE ELEVENTH STAGE.

THE OVERALL TEAM WINNER WAS EAST GERMANY, WITH THE SOVIET UNION IN SECOND PLACE. POLAND, WHO HAD FOUGHT HARD TO GAIN SECOND PLACE, REMAINED IN THIRD POSITION.

POLISH RIDER ANDRZEJ BLAWDZIN WON THE FINAL STAGE, BUT HIS TIME WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO BEAT THE RUSSIAN'S TWELVE SECOND LEAD.

NINETY-SEVEN RIDERS SET OUT FROM WARSAW ON MAY 12. ONLY 67 FINISHED THE COURSE.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS 22 YEARS, THE PEACE RACE DID NOT GO THROUGH CZECHOSLOVAK TERRITORY. ORIGINALLY, THE ROUTE RAN FROM WARSAW TO PRAGUE. BERLIN WAS ONLY ADDED LATER.

THIS YEAR THE CZECH CYCLE FEDERATION WITHDREW FROM THE RACE AS A PROTEST AGAINST THE AUGUST 1968 OCCUPATION OF THEIR COUNTRY. THEY REFUSED TO ALTER THEIR DECISION DESPITE STRONG CRITICISM FROM OTHER WARSAW PACT COUNTRIES.

FOURTEEN COUNTRIES ENTERED SEVEN-MAN TEAMS FOR THE EVENT - THE COMMUNIST SPORTS WORLD EQUIVALENT OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE. BUT SEVERAL WESTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING BRITAIN, SWEDEN, ITALY AND NORWAY DID NOT ENTER IN SUPPORT OF THE CZECH PROTEST.