ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 22, 1996 TAG: 9602220030
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
THE SALEM TO Blacksburg leg of the Tour DuPont will feature Mountain Lake for the fourth consecutive year.
For the past two years, the overall champion of the Tour DuPont has finished second and first, respectively, in the stage ending in Blacksburg. Other than a 1990 finish on the Boston Marathon route, last year's Blacksburg finish had the largest crowd ever to see a Tour DuPont.
Those facts, plus the Mountain Lake climb, have combined to bring the Tour back to this city for the fourth year in a row.
``I think this is where the race could be won or lost,'' said Steve Brunner, vice president of Medalist Sports, which created the race eight years ago. ``This is where [eventual champion] Lance Armstrong really made his mark on the Tour last year. He broke everybody else on Mountain Lake.''
Before anyone gets to Mountain Lake, 114 miles into the stage atop Salt Pond Mountain in Giles County, they'll leave the Salem Civic Center at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 6. Stage 6 of the Tour DuPont goes north on Virginia 311 through New Castle [a sprint line site], moves west and then breaks south. After Mountain Lake, it descends toward Blacksburg on Virginia 700 and U.S. 460. Riders will roll down Main Street before turning on Mt. Tabor Road.
Next is the final climb on Happy Hollow Road. Riders will turn right on Harding Road, then right on Roanoke Street and one final right onto Main Street before the finish at the Virginia Tech Mall.
The course is the same as 1994, after passing John's Creek.
Brunner said the stage should have a major impact on the overall race. ``I would be real surprised if the overall winner of the event is not represented in the top five of our finish,'' said Mike Matzuk, head of Blacksburg's local organizing committee.
This year's Blacksburg finish comes in the middle of final exams at Tech. ``I think we'll have a lot of students coming out to watch and blow off steam,'' Brunner said.
But certainly not as much as the riders will build up at Mountain Lake. The Mountain Lake climb, categorized as a ``1,'' the most difficult rating, will rise 2,000 feet in only five miles. Adding to its mystique is the fact that Greg LeMond, regarded as the greatest American cyclist ever, suggested Mountain Lake be a part of the Tour DuPont, if only to make American riders better suited for the difficult terrain in Europe.
Heeding his words, Medalist officials put Mountain Lake on the course. But they planned on reaching it via Virginia 700. After hearing LeMond suggest tougher courses for Americans, Matzuk had a better idea. ``I said, `If Greg's going up this thing, we have to take him up 613.'''
``I knew it would break it up and break it up bad and it does,'' Matzuk said.
In 1994, LeMond faced the mountain and was named the most aggressive rider for the Blacksburg stage.
Mountain Lake is such a legendary part of the Tour that Brunner said it makes Medalist and the riders want to come back year after year.
``There are certain epic places that you always want to be a part of the event,'' Brunner said. ``Mountain Lake is one of them.''
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: map Stage 6 of the Tour DuPont color STAFFby CNB