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Like almost everyone, Armstrong expected the results of Stage 5 to give shape to the rest of the Tour DuPont competition.
Armstrong, who grew up in Texas, said he didn’t have any problems dealing with .Monday’s 86-degree heat. “I’m used to it,” he said. “When I woke up this morning and it was already nearly 80 degrees, I said ‘This is my day.’ I felt perfect today.”
There was a festive atmosphere in downtown Front Royal as the racers gathered for a noon start. Most of the competitors made a three-hour auto transfer from Hershey, Pa., on Monday morning.
Armstrong and the other Motorola team members spent Sunday night just an hour outside of Front Royal. Perhaps it was a sign of a team eager to make something good happen.
The Stage 5 course, with three major climbs, was expected to play to Alcala’s strength as a climber. Teammate Nijdam, who had worn the yellow leader’s jersey since the first day of competition, sounded resigned to the fact he’d have to give it up after Monday’s stage. “I expect Raul to take the jersey,” Nijdam said. “I will be surprised if I’m still the leader.”
A cycling stage race like the Tour DuPont has more plots and sub-plots than a soap opera. There was a sense among the rival teams on Monday morning that Nijdam, Alcala and their WordPerfect teammates might have been vulnerable to attack after a tough stage on Sunday.
“So far, the race has been rather controlled by WordPerfect,” Armstrong said as he prepared to wheel to the starting line. “I think a lot of the other teams are intimidated by WordPerfect. And they are a good team
But the clear implication was that Armstrong and his Motorola teammates were going to deliver a stiff challenge as the race rolled into the Virginia mountains.
See DuPont, Page A-6
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