Rainbow refuses to yield crock of gold

It is a trophy which weighs heavily upon the shoulders of those who wear it. The rainbow jersey is awarded to the winning rider in the World Cycling Championships each year, and brings much prestige to the owner. But the price of victory is often high.

Just ask Stephen Roche. He took the world title 10 years ago in Villach, Austria, crowning a spectacular season when he also won the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia. But the rainbow jersey brought mixed fortunes to the Irish star. After racing to second place behind Sean Kelly in the Nissan Classic, Roche underwent knee surgery for the third time in his life.

The operation was expected to be but a minor hiccup in a career which was blossoming. Instead, he was off his bike for months. Roche reckons he raced just 25 days in the rainbow jersey, and furthermore, his tenure as world champion was without success. His career never again reached the dizzy heights of 1987, and it was another five years before he won a stage in the Tour.

It exemplifies the things they whisper about the jersey. Cycling is a superstitious sport and there are many who believe that the tunic is unlucky. Even cursed. Each year when the new world champion is presented to the journalists, the question is asked.

"Do you think this will affect your future results?"

Each year, the wearer laughs and with a wave of his hand, dismisses what he calls an old wives' tale. The journalists smile too, but make a mental note. We'll see. And more often than not, they are right.

There should be little room for superstition in this modern age, but the history of the sport suggests otherwise. In 1955, Belgian rider Stan Ockers won the championships, but was killed in a racing accident within 14 months. Ten years later, Tom Simpson won the title, becoming the first English-speaking cyclist to do so. The Briton collapsed and died two years later during the Tour de France. In 1971, the reigning champion Jean Pierre Monsere collided with a car during a race and was fatally injured.

Fast forward to the last decade. The history of more recent winners tells a similar, if less dramatic tale. The Italian Maurizio Fondriest succeeded Roche in 1988, taking the title after two riders ahead of him in the sprint collided. A relative unknown, he profited from being in the right place at the right time. But he enjoyed little success in the jersey, and his talent has been blighted by persistent back trouble in the years after.

Greg LeMond made a fantastic recovery from a shooting accident to complete the World ChampionTour de France double in 1989. The American appeared to avoid the jinx in taking another Tour victory the following year, but then lost form drastically after that. He never won another Tour de France. Instead, LeMond's career nose-dived due to the effect of a rare disease, called muscular myopathy. He struggled as an also-ran for another four years before retiring.

Then there's the case of Rudy Dhaenens, winner in 1990. Earning the right to wear the rainbow jersey was the biggest victory of his career. After spending years riding for others, he now seemed to have got his reward. But he too suffered. Only months after winning the title, he suddenly retired from the sport, diagnosed with a heart condition. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

Serious health problems were also in store for American Lance Armstrong, who became the youngest winner in over 20 years in 1993. His victory capped a sensational start in the professional ranks, and many saw him becoming the new king of the one-day classic. A new Merckx, they said. But his meteoric rise lost momentum and last year, he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer. He hasn't raced since.

Armstrong was succeeded by Luc Leblanc. He spearheaded a renaissance in French cycling by taking their first world title in 14 years. Illustrating his great strength as a climber, Leblanc jumped clear of the field to win on the steep climbs of Sicily in 1994. However, once again, his year as world champion was less than pleasant. Perhaps the only time he was seen in the rainbow jersey was at the presentation of ill-fated "Le Groupement" team. A knee injury ruined his year, and lack of finances ended theirs.

According to Stephen Roche, there is a logical reason why success does not always follow. "A world champion is normally pestered during the winter months for different things," he explains, "whether it is journalists, presentations, receptions and everything else." He feels that this has repercussions for their fitness and ultimately, their success in the next season. "When you are world champion, you get there from working very hard. All of a sudden you are hindered in your routine."

But does he agree with this idea of a curse? "I definitely think there is a bit of bad luck in there as well," he replies. Considering Roche's experiences as world champion, this view is not surprising.

The superstitions which remain part of cycling range from the sublime to the ridiculous: riding the Tour de France as number 51 is considered a good omen, by virtue of the fact that it has been borne by many previous winners. Having sex in the days before a big race is considered taboo, while shaving before a time trial is avoided: it is said to sap the strength. And winning the biggest one-day race in the sport is perceived to be a recipe for disaster.

Such is the inheritance of the rainbow jersey. More recently, the only champions to have enjoyed good seasons are Gianni Bugno, victorious in 1991 and 1992, and Abraham Olano (1995). However, once Bugno relinquished the jersey, his form and results plummeted. A positive drugs test three years ago further heightened his misery.

And what of last year's winner, Johan Museeuw? When the question was posed to him after his victory, he rejected any talk of a curse. "They say the same thing about when you wear the Belgian champions jersey. But last year I was Belgian champion and then I went on to become world champion, so I don't believe in these things." However, his tenure has not been a good one.

Regarded for years as the best one-day rider in the peleton, he has failed to register a single major win this year. Indeed, it is the first year since 1992 that he has not won a Classic. It has been a season he would rather forget.

The legacy of the jersey. Some of it can be explained by coincidence and circumstance. Disruption of training; being marked more closely as world champion; even a loss of hunger for success, which can result from the large pay rise for winning such a race. Perhaps there is also a psychological element involved. The rider expects misfortune, and when it occurs, he is not altogether surprised. A self-fulfilling prophecy.

Several reasons why results are slow to come. But the number and nature of incidents over the years cannot all be explained in this way, and this is why some remain convinced. On October 12th, at some stage after the winner crosses the line and raises his arms in victory, a worrying thought will cross his mind. He will pull the jersey over his weary shoulders, and remember the fate of previous owners. The press will ask that question again.

And, like every other year, the new champion of the world will reply by dismissing the curse of the rainbow jersey.