Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504180060
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D1 EDITION: METRO 1. STEPHANIE
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
In France, they call it the race of truth. It's the most difficult aspect of professional cycling - and the most crucial.
It is the time trial, and the Roanoke Valley will be the site of one May 1 for the second consecutive year as Stage 5 of the Tour DuPont.
``There's nowhere to hide in a time trial,'' said Jason Anderson, a representative of the U.S. Cycling Federation in Colorado Springs, Colo. ``It's everyone out there fending for themselves. It's where time is won and lost.''
Although it's an important aspect of multistage competitions, the time trial doesn't necessarily provide the dramatic action of which cycling highlight films are made.
A time trial involves each cyclist leaving the stage start line at an interval, with each rider racing strictly against the clock - with no help from teammates.
The other type of racing associated with multistage events such as the Tour DuPont is the road race, a mass-start event that usually goes from point to point. (For example, from Lynchburg to Blacksburg in Stage 4 of the Tour DuPont on April 30.)
Road racing is most recognizable to the novice fan, and its ``pack'' element makes it easier to understand. But time trials can have their share of excitement, too, Anderson said.
``Generally, in a stage race like the Tour DuPont and the Tour de France, the time trials are where the time is made up, which is what really matters,'' he said. ``If a cyclist can climb well or time-trial well, he can make up a lot of time.``
The most renowned example of the pivotal role a time trial can play was in the 1989 Tour de France. America's Greg LeMond trailed France's Laurent Fignon by what most thought was an insurmountable 50 seconds entering the final stage of the 23-day event. LeMond beat Fignon by 58 seconds in the final time trial to win the most coveted overall title in all of cycling.
A similar thing happened in the 1993 Tour DuPont, when Raul Alcala edged Lance Armstrong on the final day's time trial in Greensboro, N.C.
Last year, Great Britain's Malcolm Elliott wore the leader's yellow jersey for three days before rolling into the Roanoke Valley. He finished 54th in the time trial and dropped from first to 38th in the overall standings.
Anderson said another aspect of the time trial that can be interesting for fans is the different types of bikes used by the teams.
``In the time trial, the goal is to be as aerodynamic as possible, so you'll see some interesting things,'' Anderson said. ``It's the most difficult thing for a cyclist to do, and every second in a time trial matters a great deal.''
``It's intense to watch if you can figure out what's going on,`` he said. ``I guess you have to watch like a Frenchman.''
Anderson explained that a common sight along the time-trial courses of the Tour de France is spectators with start sheets listing the order of riders and stopwatches to compare their times. In that spirit, local organizers are trying to make this year's Roanoke Valley time trial more accessible and enjoyable for fans along the route.
An announcer will be stationed at the teen center (the former Roanoke County Administration building) on Brambleton Avenue to let spectators know which rider is approaching, what his time is and what his time was at a check point on the top of Twelve O'Clock Knob.
`` ... We're trying to provide more information about what's going on - the race within the race,'' said Brian Duncan, an executive board member of Cycle Roanoke Valley, Inc., the non-profit company that organizes the valley's involvement in the Tour DuPont.
Duncan said at first, he, too, was leery about the idea of a time trial in the valley.
``I wouldn't say `skepticism,' but a lack of cycling knowledge brought some anxiety as to what would actually transpire and how it would be received,'' he said.
But the valley received rave reviews last year for its stage, the first mountain time trial in the event's six-year history, which turned out to be the turning point of the overall race as Russia's Viatcheslav Ekimov took control. Now, organizers are unwilling to relinquish it.
``The marketing advantage - vs. going through a community or just ending there - is too high. Nobody leaves the valley, not the cyclists, not the sponsors, not the media. It has worked out in areas I would have never expected,'' Duncan said.
Instead, Cycle Roanoke Valley has discussed increasing its Tour DuPont involvement as early as next year by adding a stage start or finish.
The time trial ``means more to the valley, more to the cycling community, but it would be nice to work out a two-day event ...,'' Duncan said. ``It would increase awareness and allow fan enthusiasm to remain high.''
Cycle Roanoke Valley has mentioned the notion to Medalist Sports, Inc., the Tour DuPont's Richmond-based organizer, but the two parties haven't talked money. Stage finishes generally garner more fans, more media attention and more marketing opportunities. They also cost more to produce.
``It's a possibility,'' said Steve Brunner, the vice president of Medalist. ``But it's like connecting the dots.
``It would be hard to do a time trial and then start the next day, especially because there's so much support from Blacksburg and Lynchburg.''
However, Medalist is contemplating moving the Tour DuPont farther south next year with an overall finish in Atlanta to coincide with activities for the Olympic Games. Professional cyclists will be allowed to compete in the Olympics for the first time in 1996.
``It's still a possibility,'' Brunner said of a stage start or finish in the Roanoke Valley. ``We'll just have to wait and see.''
by CNB