Boardman in eighth position

Cycling

Cycling

Britain's Olympic champion Chris Boardman lies eighth, 18 seconds behind the leader Laurent Jalabert, after four stages of the Midi Libre event in France. Cedric Vasseur won yesterday's stage, a 96-mile circuit race around Marvejols.

MIDI LIBRE RACE (Marvejols, Fr, 155km/96.3m circuit) Fourth stage leading placings: 1 C Vasseur (Fr) 3hr 47min 27sec; 2 R Menegotto (It) same time; 3 A Tchmil (Ukr) +6sec; 4 M Van Heeswijk (Neth); 5 F Simon (Fr); 6 P Chanteur(Fr) all s/t.

TOUR OF ITALY (Crotone to Catanzaro, 179km/111miles) Sixth stage leading placings: 1 P Herve (Fr) Festina 4 hr 29min 45sec; 2 R Petito (It) Saeco +4sec; 3 F Casagrande (It) Saeco +12; 4 D Rebellin (It) Polti; 5 L Piepoli (It) Refin; 6 E Berzin (Rus) Gewiss. Leading overall standings: 1 Herve +28hrs 40min 37sec; 2 Fabrizio Guidi (It) Scrigno +6sec; 3 Petito +8; 4 Fabrizio Bontempi (It) Brescialat +17; 5 Casagrande +20; 6 Vergnani +24.

BCF NATIONAL TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS (Manchester): Open 40km points race (25km heats): Heat one: 1 P West (Middridge CRT) 21pts; 2 R Williams (Team Ambrosia) 15; 3 H Pritchard (Harlow CC) 14. Time: 31min 35.139sec. Heat two: 1 R Hayles (Team Ambrosia) 25; 2 A Worthington (VC St Raphael) 14; 3 J Hargreaves (Stretford Wh) 12. Time: 31:23.779. Open kilometre TT Final: 1 S Wallace (Harlow CC) 1min 05.627sec (championship record); 2 J Queally (CC Lancashire) 1:05.959; 3 C MacLean (City of Edinburgh RC) 1:06.269.