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Tour d’Acadiana USCF Cycling

Date: 18 Apr 1998 17:19:04 cst
From:  [email protected]

Saturday Report

Despite threatening morning clouds and weather forecasts, many many regional USCF cyclists showed up for the Tour d’Acadiana.

Although early reports are only now emerging, those that didn’t come sure missed a well-run, very competitive first day of events. There were good, solid fields racing all categories.

I raced the masters race and had a blast. Naturally my four-mile time trial was pitiful, but it was enough to keep me interested in a competitve road race. We did five, 8.5-mile loops north of Opelousas in
sometime pouring rain on medium quality roads. The 1,2,3s started just ahead of us at about noon. The masters didn’t get off until about 12:30 p.m. The 3,4,5s didn’t start until 3:30 p.m.

It was a great masters group: no growling, cussing, poor bike handling skills or unsportsman like conduct. The masters pack in fact was fairly responsible. It was especially good to see old timers like Curtis Maroney of Natchez racing after a long absence. A strong 38-year-old Texan took top honors in the time trial with a 9-minute spin and then broke away half way into the final lap of the road race and the pack never caught him. Lake Charles rider Ken Wall did a fantastic job basically pulling the rest of the pack on the final lap, and then he managed to escape the final sprint to take 2nd after grabbing a 3rd place in the time trial.

Most of the Baton Rouge boys raced the 3,4,5 race where Red Stick Racer leader Norman Nolan placed a stunning 13th in the time trial. I know their race had to have been very very tough.

Interestingly, there were very few if any New Orleans racers. I heard a share of folks did a USCF race in Alabama, but I don’t know who that might have included.

It’ll be an interesting Sunday criterium in downtown Lafayette.

Kenny Dunaway