Race Across AMerica : Boyer Hangs On to Lead Over Secrest at End of Sixth Day

Jonathan Boyer of Pebble Beach held on to a small lead over Michael Secrest of Flint, Mich., late Friday night after the sixth day of the Race Across AMerica Bicycle competition.

Boyer, 29, passed Secrest, 32, at about 2 p.m. (PDT) Friday and was nine miles ahead when he passed through Camden, Tenn., eight hours later. It was the fifth time Boyer and Secrest had exchanged the lead in the 3,120.2-mile race, which began Sunday on the Huntington Beach Pier and will end on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City.

In third place, 136 miles behind Boyer, was Michael Shermer, 30, of Hollywood. Shelby Hayden Clifton, 25, of Greensboro, N.C., led the other three women in the race and was in fourth place overall, 242 miles beind Boyer.

Jim Penseyres, a single-amputee Vietnam veteran from San Juan Capistrano, was in 13th place overall.

Five of the 25 cyclists who started the race had dropped out by Thursday, but none pulled out Friday despite 90-degree heat, high humidity and rain. Thunderstorms were so severe that the ABC-TV helicopter following the race was forced to land twice.