ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 17, 1996 TAG: 9602190024
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
CONGRATULATIONS to all, and there are many, who have helped make Tour DuPont a success in the Roanoke and New River valleys. Their persistence and hard work, and local fans' enthusiasm, paid off this week as word came that Roanoke this spring will host the finish of the Tour's first mountain stage.
Not only will Stage 5 of this premier cycling event, after descending from the hills, end on Jefferson Street in downtown Roanoke. It will be the end of a race, not a time trial.
In past years, fans have watched cyclists racing against the clock, an interesting sight. Now they'll get to see the cyclists race each other, which should add considerably to the event's thrill and thus its draw. Stage 6, meanwhile, will offer more excitement between Salem and Blacksburg.
As if all this weren't good news enough, sponsors were talking this week, albeit vaguely, about a long-term commitment to the valley. They like the mountains, the city, the people. Who wouldn't?
LENGTH: Short : 27 linesby CNB