ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 18, 1996 TAG: 9601180054
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
THE ROANOKE VALLEY will play host to a stage finish and a stage start in this year's Tour DuPont, instead of a time trial.
Russian cyclist Viatcheslav Ekimov was in the Far East in December for the Tour de China, when Roanoke came to mind.
Speaking with officials from Richmond-based Medalist Sports, Ekimov asked about the Roanoke Valley stage of the Tour DuPont. He told the Medalist people that without the time trial that has been held in the Valley the past two years, he would have had a difficult time winning in 1994.
Medalist officials then informed Ekimov that Roanoke will not host a time trial in 1996. A more traditional stage finish will occur in Roanoke on May 5, with a start on May 6 at the Salem Civic Center.
Ekimov was disheartened, saying his chances for another victory would be diminished without the area's mountain time trial. Officials with Cycle Roanoke Valley Inc., the local Tour DuPont organizing group, say they don't expect such a reaction from local fans.
Stage 5 of the 1996 Tour DuPont begins in Mt. Airy, N.C., Sunday morning and ends in downtown Roanoke between 4:45 and 5:15 p.m. Instead of competing against the clock as they have the past two years, riders will be racing each other to the finish line.
``The time trial determined what happened last year,'' said Mac McCadden, chairman of Cycle Roanoke Valley. ``Now we're providing the format in which they're used to seeing it.''
``They will get a rush of cyclists,'' said Cycle Roanoke Valley board member Donnovan Young. ``I think that's what people expected the first year, but it didn't happen because of the time trial.''
The Tour DuPont will have two time trials this year, one in Stage 3 in Raleigh, N.C., and the other on the final day, Stage 12 in Cobb County, Ga.
While it may not have the time trial's impact on the entire event, a stage finish in Roanoke provides a more dramatic spectacle.
Presently the Stage 5 leg is expected to finish on Jefferson Street, across from the Radisson Patrick Henry Hotel. After crossing Windy Gap Mountain, riders will descend into Roanoke down Route 116 and onto Sunnyvale Street.
The course winds through southeast Roanoke and up to Dale Avenue. Riders will take a left onto Tazewell Avenue and cross into downtown on Campbell Avenue. The course passes the City Market and touches most of the downtown area before finishing on Jefferson.
Monday's stage starts at the Salem Civic Center and travels north on Route 311 through Craig and Botetourt counties before cutting south and ending in Blacksburg.
The course is to be unveiled officially in a press conference on Valentine's Day at the Patrick Henry Hotel.
Local stage organizers are careful to include a number of related activities with the Tour DuPont. Medalist is specifically focusing attention on stage starts.
``Much of our thinking has going into building up the starts in a bigger way,'' said Medalist spokesman Steve Brunner. ``There will be a lot more interaction at the start. In the Tour de France, the start is as big as the finish. It's a promenade of sorts.''
``The best thing about Roanoke is that it has more ancillary events than any other city,'' he added. ``If they are looking to woo us for future years, they're doing what it takes.''
But is the Roanoke Valley really looking for future involvement with the Tour DuPont? When the event came to the area for 1994, organizers planned on hosting it for three years. They contracted the event on a year-by-year basis.
``We all looked at it as a three year project,'' McCadden said. ``We figured three years and out would be fine. Since this is not the same type [of race], it's possible we may look beyond this year.''
As a private, non-profit group, Cycle Roanoke Valley does not have the backing of a regional sports marketing entity like Richmond's Sports Backers or Lynchburg: Sports Capitol of Virginia. Although local organizers are ahead in terms of finding sponsors in the $1,000-2,500 range, they still are looking for a major ``name'' sponsor.
The success of this year's fund-raising drive will determine the area's future Tour DuPont involvement.
``We may be talking about bringing it back,'' said Cycle Roanoke Valley board member Brian Duncan, ``but we need to continue local support and create viable support for the future.''
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALLSPORT USA. Viatcheslav Ekimov surged to victory inby CNBthe 1994 Tour DuPont after winning the Roanoke Valley time trial.
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