CYCLING TOUR DE TRUMP : Climb Proves Too Tough for Soviet; Alcala Leads
Mexico’s Raul Alcala displaced weeklong leader Vladislav Bobrik of the Soviet Union Saturday, taking a 43-second lead heading into the final stage of the Tour de Trump bicycle race.
“I know what to do now,” Alcala said. “I will see what happens tomorrow, but I don’t believe there will be danger.”
The 13-stage, 1,107-mile race ends today with the flat 108.5-mile Northampton-to-Boston Road Race.
Alcala took the lead over the toughest stretch of the race, a 123.7-mile climb from Catskill to Albany. James Urbanos of Boulder, Colo., used a finishing seven-mile solo ride to win the stage by 30 seconds over Steve Speaks of Longmont, Colo.
Urbanos broke away as a pack of about 20 riders crested the first of three grueling hills. Urbanos’ time was 4 hours 55 minutes 45 seconds.
“This is the biggest stage win I’ve ever had,” Urbanos said. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but in a few hours I’m sure I’ll freak out.”
Alcala was among several riders credited with the same time as Speaks.
Alcala, 24, overtook Bobrik shortly after a lead pack of 19 cyclists completed a 1,500-foot, three-mile climb to Devil’s Kitchen, about 23 miles into the stage. Several thousand spectators, the largest turnout of the race, lined the sides of the narrow road up the climb.
Alcala, eighth last year in the Tour de France, remained with the lead group while the main trailing group, including Bobrik, fell as many as seven miles behind.
Alcala, who won the prologue when the race began May 3 in Wilmington, Del., and also won the eighth stage, leads Norway’s Atle Kvalsvoll by 43 seconds. Erik Breukink of the Netherlands is third, 1:44 behind.
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