Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 2, 1990 TAG: 9005020154
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WILMINGTON, DEL. LENGTH: Medium
Starting Thursday, America's most famous cyclist takes on 132 other male riders and the 1,107 miles of the Tour de Trump.
The race will be LeMond's first multi-day competition in the United States since his major double victory last summer in France when he won the Tour de France and World Championship road race.
The Tour de Trump, the most lucrative cycling event in the United States, will start with a 3.1-mile prologue and continue for 10 days with 13 stages in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts.
The course, more than 200 miles and one day longer than last year, will follow an approximate reversal of the 1989 event, named for real estate mogul and co-sponsor Donald Trump.
LeMond is the big attraction, especially since he signed the richest deal in cycling history, a three-year contract worth an estimated $5.5 million.
However, little has gone well this season for him. Following limited winter training, LeMond began the season 15 pounds overweight.
Capitalizing on the healthy appearance fees he could command, LeMond rode in 25 European races in five weeks beginning in February. But after contracting a virus, LeMond dropped out of several races, including one event because of freak circumstances. Prior to the race, his custom-made racing shoes were stolen and he was plagued with sore feet after using store-bought replacements.
Disappointed, LeMond returned to the United States, refused all interview requests and went into training seclusion for several weeks in Santa Rosa, Calif.
Suffering from the flu and an iron deficiency, LeMond finished 27th overall in last year's Tour de Trump, his poorest pro effort in the United States.
Defending champion Dag Otto Lauritzen of Norway, who rides for the 7-Eleven team, will defend the Tour de Trump title that earned him $50,000 of last year's $250,000 purse. Lauritzen's condition may be suspect, however. A steel plate was recently inserted in his right hand to help heal a fractured metacarpus.
In addition to 7-Eleven, five more of the world's top-ranked squads and a total of 19 international pro and amateur teams will compete this year for a $300,000 prize package.
Amateur teams include seven-rider squads from the United States, Canada, France, New Zealand, Sweden, West Germany and the Soviet Union.
Viatcheslav Ekimov of the Soviet Union, the 1988 Olympic pursuit gold medal winner, is entered. He recently turned pro by signing with Panasonic-Sportlife for $500,000, the most lucrative first-year pro contract in history.
Other top professionals entered include Andy Hampsten of Boulder, Colo., the former winner of the Tour of Switzerland and Tour of Italy; Canada's Steve Bauer, a three-time 10 top Tour de France finisher; Raul Alcala of Mexico, who placed eighth in last year's Tour de France; Alexi Grewal, also of Boulder, the 1984 Olympic road race gold medalist; and Rudy Dhaerens of Belgium.
by CNB