Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 6, 1995 TAG: 9505090009
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. LENGTH: Short
Armstrong, 23, of Austin, Texas, left Laurent Madouas of France with 11/2 miles left and claimed the 120-mile Asheville, N.C., to Beech Mountain ninth stage road race in 5 hours, 20 minutes, 51 seconds.
Zenon Jaskula of Poland was second in 5:21:02, and Madouas placed third in 5:21:08.
Armstrong, the 1993 road race world champion who also won this stage last year, increased his lead by 72 seconds and leads teammate Andrea Peron of Italy by 3:55.
Defending champion Viatcheslav Ekimov of Russia was fifth in the stage and is third overall, 4:05 behind.
The field will ride a flat and largely ceremonial 110 miles from Wilkesboro, N.C., to Winston-Salem, N.C., in today's 10th stage.
The 1,130-mile race, which began April 26 in Wilmington, Del., ends Sunday with a 30-mile individual time event finishing in Greensboro, N.C.
``When you're on top of your game, you're confident,'' said Armstrong, who took the race lead on Sunday in Blacksburg, Va., with the first of his consecutive stage wins. ``I felt strong the whole day. I was never in trouble or in danger of being dropped.''
The ninth stage ended with a three-mile ascent and included eight climbs. Although there was no rain, a steady crosswind blew, and the temperature dropped to 48 degrees.
``My teammates were lions out there,'' Armstrong said. ``I had no choice to be anything but super at the end.''
by CNB