ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, May 9, 1996 TAG: 9605090057
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BEECH MOUNTAIN, N. C.
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pascal Herve of France cut 55 seconds out of race leader Lance Armstrong's overall advantage Wednesday, winning the eighth and most strenuous stage of the Tour DuPont.
Herve, 31, the leader of Festina who began the day in second place overall, jumped to the front on a steep incline with 21/2 miles left and claimed the 109.6-mile Bristol-to-Beech Mountain road race in 5 hours, 3 seconds.
Armstrong, the defending race titlist who won the stage the past two years, finished second in 5:00:54 and gained a six-second time bonus. Daniele Nardello of Italy (Mapei-GB) was third in 5:01:54.
With four stages of the 1,225-mile event left, Armstrong leads Herve, who gained a 10-second winning bonus, by 1 minute, 58 seconds.
The three remaining road stages are relatively flat, offering few chances for time gains. The final stage is a 9.1-mile time trial Sunday, ending in Marietta, Ga.
Armstrong (Motorola) won the first time trial May 3 in Raleigh, N.C. Herve finished 31st, more than 20 seconds behind in the 7.1-mile event.
``I wasn't worried when he went,'' said Armstrong, who has held the race lead since winning Stage 2 on May 2. ``But when he didn't come back, I was worried.''
The eighth stage featured eight substantial climbs, including a steep, five-mile ascent to the finish when many of the top contenders moved to the front.
Tony Rominger of Switzerland (Mapei-GB), the world's No. 2-ranked cyclist,
Herve, Nardello and Juan Arenas of Spain went to the front after 91 miles and built as much as a 1:52 lead. After Arenas was dropped, the remaining duo rode together until Herve made his final attack.
The severity of the stage resulted in 48 riders finishing outside the time limit, but they all were reinstated. The eighth annual race continues today with the 105-mile Blowing Rock-to-Charlotte, N.C., road race.
LENGTH: Short : 45 linesby CNB