ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 8, 1996 TAG: 9605080043
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WYTHEVILLE
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
WYTHE COUNTY residents welcome back their favorite thing on wheels.
Bill and Farron Smith, owners of Skeeter's World Famous Hot Dog Stand, opened up the payroll Tuesday morning. In order to handle the start of Stage 7 of the Tour DuPont, the Smiths doubled their staff, bringing the sum total to six, at their restaurant on the corner of Main and First streets.
Located just a few feet from the rain-drenched starting line, they expected to do some big business. "We hope so," said Farron Smith. "The last Tour was a very good day."
Wytheville also hosted a stage start in 1994.
Most travelers see the community from their car windows while on Interstates 77 and 81, but the 850 members of the Tour DuPont caravan had a more leisurely trip through town.
An event that matched the Tour DuPont in terms of local magnitude happened more than 120 years ago right above what later became Skeeter's lunch counter. Upstairs at 9 o'clock the morning of Oct. 15, 1872, Edith Bowling Wilson was born. She later became the wife of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States.
Wytheville residents were excited about the return of the Tour after a year's absence.
"It really means a lot for this county," said Wytheville mayor Trent Crewe. "We don't get to see world class athletes up close and personal like this very often."
Some fans along Main Street couldn't get close enough. One woman, who asked not to be identified, said of the race field, "There's never any good-looking locals and the Tour DuPont comes around and it's a big ol' feast."
A small group of students from Fort Chiswell High School echoed those sentiments. The first cyclist who Crystal Williams and Rachel Scott met was Sabino Canone, an Italian who rides for Die Continentale.
"He had pretty eyes," said Williams.
"I asked him to sign my face," said Scott.
"We've been making comparisons between the Tour DuPont and the Tour de France in French class," said their classmate, Melissa Tillinghast.
"Melissa's the intelligent one," said the girls' chaperone, Suzanne Ogle.
The Wythe County school system set up a Tour-related curriculum for its elementary math and social studies classes, most of which dealt with geography of the riders' home nations. Many of the spectators at the start were elementary school students out for half the day.
A large group made a beeline up the street when team Motorola and Lance Armstrong pulled up on a side street. Unlike most riders, who arrive at the race site in minivans, Armstrong was sequestered in a luxury trailer. The children chanted "We want Lance! We want Lance!" but he didn't come out until it was time to ride.
Some local youth shared a bond with Armstrong even stronger than their American nationality. Armstrong is from Austin, Texas. The founder of Texas and namesake of Armstrong's home town, Stephen F. Austin, was born in Austinville, just 10 miles southeast of Wytheville.
Armstrong has signed more autographs than any other rider, so it's understandable if it has grown tiresome. But for former teammate Andy Hampsten, an American now riding for the U.S. Postal Service, it's a rare pleasure. Hampsten hasn't competed in the United States since 1990 and has been living in Italy.
"I love it," he said. "It's the first time I've been in this part of the country to tell you the truth. They realize it's something special and I appreciated them coming out to see it.
"I'm a firm believer that whatever town we go to the kids should be let out of school. They'll be race fans for life."
Down the road in Rural Retreat, site of the stage's first sprint line, Randall Huddle brought his collection of five llamas over to his neighbor David Chaplin's home along the route. Huddle wanted to give his llamas and the riders something new to see.
The quintet of llamas is famous around the town. At Christmas, Huddle identified each home in town where children lived. After midnight on Christmas Eve, he led his llamas through every yard. In the snow, the hoof prints bore an amazing resemblance to reindeer.
"Nobody brings more happiness to the people of Rural Retreat," said another neighbor, Harold Foglesong.
On this morning, Huddle had some competition.
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Cyclists ride over a stream during Stage 7 of theby CNBTour DuPont in Teas on Tuesday. The race began in the rain in
Wytheville and ended 109 miles later in Bristol. color.