Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 15, 1993 TAG: 9305150137
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Some folks watching the festivities for the Tour DuPont likened Blacksburg to Mayberry, and one of any number of episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show."
The scenario goes something like this:
Town is quiet and peaceful-like.
Someone (or something) important visits.
Town goes nuts, waves banners and flags.
Someone (or something) important leaves.
Town is quiet again (eventually).
Two hours before the 109 cyclists lined up along the mall at Virginia Tech and ate corn flakes and ice cream in front of curious onlookers, few people were milling among the crafts booths the town of Blacksburg had set up streetside.
But by race time, the sidewalks were packed with hundreds of folks - more than the populations of Mayberry and Mount Pilot combined.
Mrs. Williams' second-grade class at Gilbert Linkous Elementary School stood in front of the racers with a computer banner urging them to "Have fun."
Blacksburg Middle School's 3-D art class made papier-mache bike helmets - not suitable for the road, of course, but a colorful tribute just the same.
"Like Mayberry," said Adam Caperton, who works at Books, Strings & Things.
Thousands of people lined up along Main Street, waiting for a glimpse of bikers from many countries, including Belgium, Spain and Poland. There were house painters in spackled dungarees, women and men in business suits.
And there were busloads of schoolchildren, who also attended the Tour de Tech, a university-sponsored event that featured displays on bicycle science and technology.
"Is there an Italian team?" asked June Stubbs, who sat on a hilltop with her husband, John, waiting for the race to start.
"We've been fascinated with this sport ever since we saw `Breaking Away,' " said Stubbs, who teaches Italian at Tech.
Sarah Houff, 8, and her brother David, 6, who like bike racing with their dad, approached the cyclists, asking politely for autographs.
Studying them later, they could make out the names of the countries better than the names of the racers.
"Look, I got `Spain,' " Sarah said.
Chris Gregory, 11, of Pearisburg wore a new yellow Lycra shirt with his biking shorts. On his helmet, in fresh black ink, was an autograph from Texan Lance Armstrong.
"I crashed one year," Gregory said with the authority of an experienced cyclist. "When I got back up, I told my dad I wanted to see the Tour DuPont."
And some were more into the atmosphere than the race.
"I'm not a cycling enthusiast, but I'm a Blacksburg enthusiast," said Glenn Tyndall, campus minister.
Tech's president and the town mayor were supposed to start this ninth stage of "America's Premier Cycling Event." But they were replaced, in the last days, by muskets and Civil War soldiers, one for each side, at the prompting of Mike Matzuk, a local race organizer.
"I think the idea is to be different and unique, so you get noticed on ESPN," Town Manager Ron Secrist said with a grin.
Secrist said Tour DuPont officials were pleased with the crowds, estimated by police to be 10,000 to 12,000, all the way to the corporate limits.
Town officials had hoped that a good showing this year would get Blacksburg a future bid as a finishing site.
"They said that following the race, they'd like to be in touch with us," Secrist said. "There's a good possibility of continued association - whether it's a start, finish or whatever."
by CNB