Challenge Cycling : Soviet Team Leads U.S. After First Night

A visiting Soviet cycling team, hit by an earthquake and then a heat wave, seems to be handling it all well, judging by its powerful display in the USA/USSR Michelob Challenge team cycling event Saturday night before 3,500 overheated fans at the Olympic Velodrome at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

The Soviet Union led unofficially, 48-37, after the first night of competition.

It is the first time that the Soviets and the Americans have met in a team-scoring cycling event. The Soviets have taken the competition seriously, sending six world record-holders to fill out its men’s and women’s teams.

The team, which arrived Wednesday, awoke Thursday to the earthquake.

“It was a very bad way to wake up, yes?” Guintatas Umaras said. “I have felt one before, but, yes, I was afraid. I went to stand in the door, but why is this safe?”

Umaras won the individual pursuit with ease, beating a tired Carl Sundquist. Umaras took the 4,000-meter race with a time of 4:52.08. Sundquist’s time was 5:04.82.

Sundquist, who trains in Miami, said he started too fast and faded during the race.

“I haven’t been doing any kind of track training and I guess it showed,” Sundquist said.

Umaras said he had hoped for a faster time, but he was not disappointed. The Soviet seemed content to chat with anyone willing to pause for a moment.

“I think we are very friendly in the bicycle world,” Umaras said in excellent English. “We are friendly in all races. I think the two teams (U.S. and Soviet) are the closest in biking. We are all friends.”

In women’s competition, Rebecca Twigg-Whitehead, the 1984 Olympic silver medalist, won the 1,000-meter time trial in the best time of her career, 1:13.14, which unofficially breaks her old American record of 1:14.04 and is also the fastest time by any woman at that distance outdoors.

More finals are scheduled for 1 p.m. today.