Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 5, 1991 TAG: 9104050080
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
So, like the Taj Mahal Casino and Trump Tower, it is not surprising that Trump's vision of a great American bicycle race has survived his recent financial woes.
Although it no longer bears Trump's name, the race is bigger than ever and now has the Du Pont Company as title sponsor.
The inaugural Tour Du Pont is scheduled to start May 9 in Wilmington, Del., and follow a 1,000-mile course through Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia before finishing in Wilmington on May 19.
The $300,000 event, which is the richest cycling race in U.S. history and now has professional sanctioning, will have seven of its 11 stages in Virginia, including a stage finish and start at The Homestead Resort in Hot Springs.
"It's not just a bike race anymore," said Dave Williams, who is the Tour Du Pont venue director. "It's the largest international sporting event in the United States this year."
The 11-stage race will be televised by CBS and ESPN and seen via satellite in 88 countries. It features 15 professional cycling teams - highlighted by the world's No. 1 ranked team, PDM of Holland, and "Z" of France, which features three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond. The national teams of the United States, Germany and Soviet Union also will compete.
The Homestead will be the finish point for Stage 7 on May 15 and the starting point of Stage 8 on May 16.
"We look at this as a great opportunity to introduce the Alleghany Highlands and The Homestead to an international market," said Chuck Ingalsbee, vice president and general manager of The Homestead.
Stage 7 of the Tour Du Pont will be a 206-kilometer (128 miles) road race from Charlottesville to The Homestead. The mountainous terrain will feature three climbs of more than 2,950 feet in elevation, ending with a six-mile gradual climb to the summit of Warm Springs before descending six miles to the finish line at The Homestead.
"That's a long race," said Spago Cycling Team member James Urbonas, who won the Devils Kitchen stage of last year's Tour De Trump. "There will be a lot of opportunities for riders to either take time off or put time on people. The climb [to Warm Springs] is so tough because the grade stays the same. It's depressing to be climbing and not be able to see an end. It'll be a great chance for spectators to see the top cyclists in the world in pain."
Stage 8 will take the cyclists 145 miles from Hot Springs to Winchester, including three climbs that will pass 3,000 feet.
As in last year's Tour de Trump, the Tour Du Pont will pass through Wintergreen Resort with the steepest climb of the race. Stage 6 is a 169-kilometer (105 miles) trek from Richmond to Wintergreen, ending with a more than four-mile climb up a 7 percent to 12 percent grade to the resort at an elevation of 4,125 feet.
Stages 3 through 9 of the race will be in Virginia, including a circuit race in Arlington, a twilight criterium in Richmond and road races from Fredericksburg to Richmond and Winchester to Harrisburg, Pa.
"The majority of this race is in Virginia, almost 60 percent," said Williams, "and there's no question that the toughest stages are in Virginia."
by CNB