ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, May 7, 1996 TAG: 9605070064
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
It began as an opinion, became a suggestion and grew into an insistence.
Lance Armstrong, America's No.1 cyclist, said weeks before the Tour DuPont that France's Pascal Herve of the Festina team was a rider to fear and revere.
Monday, after Armstrong won the Tour's Stage 6 from Salem to the Virginia Tech mall, Herve's teammate, Jean Cyril Robin, directed the same comment at Armstrong. The 24-year-old from Austin, Texas, left Herve while ascending Happy Hollow Road and went on to win the stage by 1 minute, 10 seconds.
``He is Superman,'' Robin said of Armstrong. ``His body is strong. In his head, he's stronger.''
Following second-place Herve were Festina teammates Robin and Felix Garcia-Casas (2:48 behind). Mapei-GB's Federico Echave completed the top five.
Herve was in the lead pack when it caught leader Joona Lauka (also of Festina) at the beginning of the Salt Pond Mountain ascent to Mountain Lake. Herve left the pack soon after, gaining as much as a 12-second lead. Armstrong didn't let it get any greater. He caught Herve and they rode together for the next 21 miles.
When they turned onto Mount Tabor Road, Armstrong leaned over to speak to Herve. ``He asked me to ride faster,'' Herve said through translator James Startt. ``I said I couldn't.''
Three-quarters of a mile later, Armstrong left him behind.
``I wasn't trying to take off and leave him,'' said Armstrong, Motorola's team leader. ``It's always better to work together. But I wanted [to gain] as much time as possible.''
Armstrong, who finished Stage 6 in 6:06:59, increased his overall lead while claiming his fourth victory in six stages and one time trial. He leads Herve by 2:53. Mapei-GB's Tony Rominger is third, 3:59 back, Motorola's Axel Merckx trails by 4:29 and Robin is 4:35 back.
In all, there are four Festina team members among the top seven overall. Mike Engleman, ace climber for the U.S. Postal Service team, predicted Monday morning that Mapei and Festina would try to push the pace and ``make Motorola work,'' and that appeared to happen in Stage 6.
Mapei remained No.1 in the team standings, but Festina cut more than 90 seconds off its lead in Stage 6, moving from fourth to second place. Festina is eight seconds behind. Defending champion Motorola slipped to third place, losing nearly three minutes in Monday's stage.
``They rode for 120 miles in the front,'' said Jim Ochowicz, Motorola's team director. ``That was their job today; it wasn't to finish fourth or fifth'' individually.
Considering all the buildup to this stage and its six categorized climbs, many race officials speculated that many riders would be glad just to finish. Stage 6 and Wednesday's Stage 8 from Bristol to Beech Mountain, N.C., have been billed as by far the most strenuous stages of the Tour.
On Monday morning near the start line at the Salem Civic Center, Chevrolet/LA Sheriff rider Steve Hegg said, ``I'm scared.'' Hegg was using a different bike frame than he had in previous stages. Its total weight was 11/2 pounds; his other model weighs 21/2.
Still, he said every little bit counts. That's why he grabbed a pair of scissors and cut the corners off the small plastic card that sits under his cross bar and displays his rider number. ``See, I'm shaving weight off,'' he said.
Only four cyclists (Scott Moninger, Filippo Meloni, Scott McGrory and Scott Price) did not finish Stage 6, bringing the total number of abandonments to eight. All have come in the past two stages.
Rookie pro Sascha Henrix of the German Die Continentale team led for nearly 90 miles and won three King of the Mountain bonuses, but wound up as the last-place finisher.
Out front was Armstrong, who still has shown no signs of fading. The reigning champ said he doesn't think he's burning himself out with half the race remaining.
``Recovery, that doesn't concern me,'' Armstrong said. ``Bad luck, that concerns me.''
A second consecutive Tour DuPont title and a saddlebag full of Olympic gold are his expressed goals for 1996. He has the will, and as Robin said, that's one strong will.
``It's hard to respond to praise like that,'' Armstrong said. ``We [Americans] have the knowledge of the courses, we have the morale. All the things we know, that can make a difference.
``I don't think that qualifies me as a Superman.''
So how about a different name? Herve had a suggestion as he left Armstrong's side and headed for his hotel.
``Bye, King,'' he said.
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ROGER HART/Staff. 1. Tour leader Lance Armstrong (right)by CNBfastens his helmet and prepares to start Stage 6 in Salem. Tony
Rominger (wearing goggles on head) is bandaged after a crash in
Stage 5. 2. A state trooper escorting the Tour checks out Motorola
rider Axel Merckx (left) as they prepare for Stage 6 on Monday at
the Salem Civic Center. color.