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

DATE: SATURDAY, April 29, 1995                   TAG: 9505010039
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

ITALIAN PERON WINS 2ND STAGE, TAKES TOUR DUPONT LEAD

Andrea Peron of Italy, with an ironic assist from the two race favorites, won the second stage by 1.4 seconds Friday and took over the lead of the Tour DuPont.

Peron, 23, a first-year rider for the U.S.-based Motorola team, claimed the 88-mile Fredericksburg to Richmond road race in 3 hours, 9 minutes, 45 seconds.

With a 10-second time bonus, Peron moved into the race lead by five seconds over teammate Lance Armstrong of Austin, Texas, who finished second. Armstrong has finished second two straight years in the Tour DuPont.

Defending race titlist Viatcheslav Ekimov of Russia (Novell) was third and trails Peron by seven seconds.

Malcolm Elliott of Britain (Chevrolet-LA Sheriff), the previous race leader, finished 12th and now is fourth overall, 16 seconds behind.

With leader Armstrong and pursuer Ekimov worried about each other, Peron went to the front with about 200 yards remaining and won by about 20 yards.

``Lance made the first attack,'' Peron said of the former world champion's move on the final of three 3.3-mile circuits in the city's financial district. ``Ekimov followed because he's worried about the overall lead. I just stayed on his wheel and didn't have to do any work.''

Peron, who finished third overall last year, was an Olympic team time trial silver medalist in 1992 and won the eighth stage of the Tour DuPont last year.

A group of five riders, including George Hincapie of Farmingdale, N.Y., and Scott Fortnier of Laguna Niguel, Calif., broke from the field after 31 miles on the race's third straight sunny and warm day. The quintet built nearly a three-minute lead before the main group returned to the leaders with just less than two laps left.

Another group of nine riders, including Armstrong, then left the field on the final lap and assumed a 15-second cushion.

``I was really pushing and I didn't see anyone at first,'' said Armstrong. ``But then I saw Ekimov and another blue [teammate's] helmet. If Ekimov had won, I would have been disappointed, but not now.''

The $250,000, 12-day event continues today with a 133-mile road race third stage from Richmond to Lynchburg.

by CNB