Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, May 13, 1993                   TAG: 9305130012
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY OF BIKE RACING

During football season, it's the Redskins.

But what of biking, that traditionally European sport that even now is wheeling its way through Virginia's mountains and valleys toward Buchanan and Blacksburg? Where do you pledge your loyalty?

And what do you say when these Lycra-coated creatures pass by in a blur of stamina and sweat? Do you cheer? Can you heckle?

"You cheer for everyone," says Hanson Ling, a mechanic at East Coasters bike shop in Blacksburg. "In a few seconds, they're past you."

In an international race such as the Tour DuPont, most people will be cheering for one of the U.S. teams.

The U.S. Cycling team has the most easily identifiable uniform, even at 35 mph, Ling says. Basically, they're wearing American flags.

Lance Armstrong of Dallas is America's best hope this year. The overall favorite is Raul Alcala of Mexico.

If you swear allegiance by proximity, Winston-Salem, N.C., produced the nearest-to-Virginia cyclists - two of them, Jim Copeland and Thomas Craven - on the Chevrolet/L.A. Sheriff's cycling team.

"To a lot of people in Europe, bike racing is what pro football and college basketball is to us - it's the main thing," said Dave Abraham, owner of Blacksburg's Hokie Spokes and Radford's New Wheel.

"In this country, we're used to having all of the action presented in front of us - in stadium or a track you can see," says Andy Morris, assistant editor of VeloNews, a competitive cycling magazine. "To stand around for an hour or two and have it pass by you in five minutes is foreign to a lot of people. But if you follow the sport, it's dramatic."

Where do you stand?

There are often barriers alongside the roads of American races, and it's best for fans to abide by them.

In the European mountains, fans get so excited they spill into the road, leaving only a pathway for bikers, Morris says.

Last year, a photographer, eager to get a snapshot, knocked a world champion off his bike. Here, the crowd is more restrained and not nearly as large, Morris said.

The best place to watch the race is near a long incline or after a particularly tricky turn.

What do you wear?

While the teams are wearing tight clothing, designed to be as aerodynamic as possible, there is no set attire for the crowd.

Please, don't feed the bikers.

It's an important rule to remember, says Ling, the East Coasters mechanic.

"They're only allowed to pick up food in specified zones," he explained. "And they could be disqualified if they're fed along the way."

Can I have your autograph?

It is OK to ask cyclists for autographs - before or after the race, Morris says. "And they're generally pretty good about it."

But be considerate, he warns; the cyclists are trying to focus on a long day.

Whom do you hate?

"It's not so much a good guy/bad guy scenario," Morris says. "Instead of two teams competing, you have 20. People are rooting for a particular hero. There's generally not a lot of booing."

Last year, though, a Belgium racer named Michel Zanoli, known for being aggressive, got his share of sneers after punching another biker during a sprint.

"He was sort of the black hat of that race," Morris said.