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TOUR DE FRANCE
Tour de France pelethon

On 13th July 1998 the Community Council in co-operation with the GAA organised a special Banquet to celebrate the coming of the Tour De France to Ireland for the first time ever.

A corporate package was developed to allow companies to entertain their guests in style at a roadside marquee on Mr. Fenton’s land at Killacloyne.

Here the guests were treated to a wine reception dinner. Coverage of the race from Carrick-On-Suir to Cork could be seen on TV’s. it was a most enjoyable day for everyone who turned out for this one off occasion.

    Tour de France
    Winner Marco PANTANI
    Number of stages 21
    Distance 3850 km
    Average speed  39.983 km/h
    Winner prizes 2200000
    Total prizes 12000000
 
PODIUM
    1st - Marco PANTANI (MERCATONE UNO - BIANCHI)
    2nd - Jan ULLRICH (TEAM DEUTSCHE TELEKOM)
    3rd - Bobby JULICH (COFIDIS . LE CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE)
    Best team - COFIDIS . LE CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE
 
THE STORY of the 85th Tour de France - 11th July to 2nd Aug 1998
    Race
    Britain's Chris Boardman won his third Prologue and captured the yellow jersey. Sprinters then dominated the opening week of racing. Defending champion Jan Ullrich again found himself in the yellow jersey after winning the Corrèze time trial. He held it in the Pyrénées, but continued attacks by Italian climber Marco Pantani finally broke Ullrich on the stage to Deux Alps. Ullrich lost over seven minutes and the lead. He fought back to win the next stage into Albertville as well as the final time trial, but he could not threaten Pantani's overall lead as Pantani became the first Italian since Felice Gimondi in 1965 to win the Tour.

    Before the Tour even started news broke that a Festina team car had been found loaded with performance enhancing drugs on the French/Belgian border. Soon the news became known as "The Festina Affair." When team director Bruno Roussel confessed to systematic doping of the riders, the entire team was expelled from the race. Further drug inquiries prompted two sit-down strikes by the Tour riders and marred the 1998 race.

    Event
    Tour starts in Dublin, Ireland for the first time.

Early Days of the village - Early Roads in Carrig - Pastimes and Customs
The Norman period to Reformation - The Fenians - Carrigtwohill Caves - Ryan and Ahern
Churches - Ballyannon Castle - Barryscourt Castle - The By-Pass
The Boston Band/Old Fair - Tour De France - Ploughing Championships