After two weeks hard riding over a thousand-mile (1720 km) course, the international field competing in the third Tour d'Algerie cycle race completed the final stage in Algiers on Sunday (April 2).

The original 102 competitors had been reduced to 71 by the final stage, which was won by Sven Nilsson of Sweden. But the overall winner of the race was Dutch rider Frits Schir. The Soviet Union won the team prize.

SYNOPSIS: Sweden's Sven Nilsson was first across the line in the final stage of the Tour d'Algerie on Sunday. This was the third year of the competition and the tough thousand-mile course had reduced the original hundred starters to only seventy-one by the final stage. A total of sixteen nations were taking part in the event this year. Well down the field in forty-seventh spot was the Dutch rider Fritz Schir. But he was only thirty seconds behind stage winner Nilsson and had already built up a commanding lead in the two-week tour.

So Fritz Schir, largely on the strength of second place in the penultimate stage, was outright winner of the 1972 tour.

Here he is with hill-climb winner Tchesof of Poland, in the white jersey, top Algerian rider madjid Hamza and Sven Nilsson.

The team prize was won by Soviet riders. The Tour d'Algerie continues to grow in importance, and this year's entry was a record.