Race Across AMerica : Gaining on Leader, Secrest Forced Out With Broken Collarbone

Mike Secrest, in second place in Race Across AMerica, was forced out of the race when he fell from his bicycle Saturday night and suffered a broken collarbone, seven days into the race.

Secrest, of Flint, Mich., apparently fell four miles east of Jonesborough, Tenn., 2,378 miles into the 3,120-mile race. Event officials say a pothole in the road might have caused the accident.

Secrest was rushed to the Johnson City, Tenn., Medical Center, where he spent Saturday night under observation.

Leader Peter Penseyres of Fallbrook was 43 miles ahead of Secrest before the fall. Secrest had been 112 miles behind Penseyres on Thursday, and had narrowed the gap to 53 miles Friday.

Penseyres now has a 136-mile lead over second-place Lon Haldman of Harvard, Ill., and is seven hours ahead of the record pace of 9 days, 2 hours and 16 minutes, set last year by Jonathan Boyer of Berkeley. Penseyres was last reported in Kingston, Tenn., averaging 15.87 miles per hour.

Matt Beerer of Garden Grove moved into third place, 177 miles behind the leader. Elaine Mariolle of Berkeley, the women’s leader, is in fourth place.

Casey Patterson was forced out of the race Saturday because of knee problems.

Six riders in the field of 26 have dropped out of the race, which started in Huntington Beach on Sunday and concludes on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City.