Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 26, 1995 TAG: 9501260103
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Officials of the Tour DuPont announced Wednesday they had made few modifications to the Lynchburg-to-Blacksburg leg of the cycling race, dubbed by some competitors as the best stage in the event's seven-year history.
``Greg LeMond told me after the stage [in 1994] that those are the types of stages that we need to distinguish the Tour DuPont,'' said Steve Brunner, vice president of Medalist Sports, Inc., the Richmond-based company that organizes the event.
Blacksburg, making its third appearance in the Tour, will host the finish of Stage 4 on April 30, the first of four mountain stages in the 12-day, 1,130-mile race from Wilmington, Del., to Burlington, N.C.
The only major change is at the finish of the 141-mile stage. Cyclists will make a 2-mile circuit around the Virginia Tech campus before finishing in front of the Squires Student Center, a move designed to maximize spectator viewing.
``We wanted to help the fans,'' Brunner said. ``It will be very easy to watch the race unfold on the big screen, get to a position to see the cyclists and get back to the finish line. It gives people different options.''
Last year, an estimated 30,000 people - one of the largest crowds in the event's history - witnessed high drama on Medalist's tractor-trailer-sized screen set up on the Tech Mall, which televised live the stage's final two hours of competition. LeMond, the 1992 champion, staked out a big lead before being chased down by five other riders, including eventual overall winner Viatcheslav Ekimov and second-place finisher Lance Armstrong.
``I think it will once again be a very dynamic stage and will be a very important part of the overall race,'' Brunner said.
The Blacksburg stage last year came on the heels of the event's first mountain time trial, a grueling test through the Roanoke Valley. This year, the two stages have been flip-flopped.
``It actually helps for the time trial to get a mountain stage in,'' Brunner said. ``It allows the riders to get their climbing legs. If they go into the time trial tired and not fresh, it will prove who is really the tougher guy.''
And Stage 4 has some definite energy-sappers.
Cyclists depart from downtown Lynchburg in the morning and make climbs over the Peaks of Otter, North Mountain and John's Creek Mountain. They then face the taxing 4,000-foot ascent to Mountain Lake, rated as one of the toughest climbs in this year's race.
``Ekimov said there were only two times in the race last year when he doubted himself and Mountain Lake was one of them,'' Brunner said.
The stage also includes sprint lines in the towns of Buchanan, Fincastle and New Castle. The first six cyclists to reach the line earn points toward the sprint jersey, worth money at the end of the overall race.
The cyclists will enter Blacksburg on U.S. 460 and make a counter-clockwise circle around the Tech Drill Field and Mall before crossing the finish line in front of the student center, the same spot as last year.
``If there's a prototype [venue], it's Blacksburg,'' Brunner said. ``The campus is ideal, open, and it's a great party atmosphere.''
NOTES: Medalist also announced Wednesday 10 teams that have officially committed for the 1995 Tour, including Novell (formerly WordPerfect), Motorola (the defending champion) and Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff (the top U.S. team). ... An international upgrade has allowed the Tour to increase from 16 to 18 teams. Approximately 120 cyclists from more than 15 countries are expected to compete for $300,000 in cash and prizes. ... Ekimov, from Russia, and Armstrong, of Austin, Texas, have committed for this year's race. ... Among the cyclists who won't be present: LeMond, 1990 and '93 champion Raul Alcala of Mexico, and veteran U.S. rider Phil Anderson. All announced their retirements in the off-season. ... The race has been moved up a week this year. It will start April 26 and end May 7. Details of the Stage 5 Roanoke Valley time trial, scheduled for May 1, will be announced in February. ... The Tour de TECH, a Virginia Tech-sponsored educational exposition for Montgomery County school children, will be held in conjunction with the Blacksburg stage. Events, scheduled for April 27-29, are designed to promote an understanding and awareness of the diversity of science and engineering by using fitness, competition and sports technology as a theme.
by CNB