Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 15, 1993 TAG: 9305170241
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
As Tour DuPont cyclists made the cruel climb up Beech Mountain on Friday evening, there wasn't a trace of the smiles that lit up the morning festivities at the stage 9 start in Blacksburg.
Racers ditched smiles to lighten their loads during the longest, most brutal, leg-wrenching stage in the five-year history of the race.
When it was over, at a chilly 5,058 feet, one man could grin again.
Jorg Muller, 32, a Swiss racer on the Spanish team Clas-Cajastur, powered up Beech Mountain and held off the event's overall leaders to win the stage in seven hours, 39 seconds.
"In the time trials, I'm not that strong, but going uphill, I'm one of the strongest," Muller said. "I do a lot of mountain training.
"With the distance and the altitude, this was really a hard stage. Maybe too hard."
The stage was billed as critical and overall leader Raul Alcala afterwards called it "criminal." There were two Category 1 (most severe) climbs in the final 11 miles - a 7.8-mile ascent to Banner Elk and the final 3.7-mile nightmare up Beech Mountain.
After the first climb failed to thin out the lead pack, Muller broke away about a mile and a half to the finish. American Lance Armstrong, second overall behind Alcala, made several late attacks, but couldn't catch Muller or shake Alcala.
"The distance of the stage was tough and that climb would have been rough even if you started at the bottom with fresh legs," said Armstrong, who took second in front of Alcala.
The 21-year-old Texan shaved Alcala's overall lead from 23 to 19 seconds with one stage and a time trial remaining.
Today's 10th stage runs 141 miles from Banner Elk to Winston-Salem. On Sunday, the time trial - solo racing against the clock - runs 36.5 miles through the Piedmont Triad.
"Four seconds was definitely not enough," said Armstrong, who finished 12 seconds behind Muller and two ahead of Alcala. "I wanted more. But I couldn't get away and I wasn't going to no matter how many times I attacked.
"It's going to go down to the time trial. I can think of other people [besides Alcala] I'd like to time trial against to win the Tour DuPont, but we'll see.
"I want this race bad, and if I have to time trial to win it, I'll do it."
Muller, who was voted the most aggressive racer for his mountain heroics, moved from 14th overall to fourth. The eight-year-pro is 1:29 behind Alcala, the 29-year-old Mexican riding for WordPerfect.
"I made one attack at the bottom of the mountain to close the gap [with breakout riders], and then I just waited for Lance to attack," Alcala said. "He made a few very good attacks, but I stayed pretty close."
Alcala, the 1990 Tour DuPont winner, is as strong a time trialist as a climber. Armstrong is inexperienced in time trials and Sunday's will be his longest as a pro.
"This was maybe [Armstrong's] last chance to take the initiative," Alcala said. "It will be more difficult for Lance to take the [leader's] jersey in the time trial. I am a natural [in the time trial]. I don't know how to explain it."
"Alcala's proven," Armstrong said. "He's the favorite. I'll have to find a way in the time trial."
by CNB