Bicycle Racing : Kiefel Is a Winner in Opener

Ron Kiefel pedaled to the top of fog-covered Telegraph Hill Saturday and won the first event of the Coors International bicycle race for the fourth straight year.

Kiefel, 26, of Wheatridge, Colo., posted an official time of 3 minutes 12.59 seconds in the 1.05-mile, 280-foot-high climb to the base of Coit Tower in the Fisherman’s Wharf Prologue Time Trial.

Petr Urgrumov of the Soviet Union was second in 3 minutes 18.39 seconds. Raul Alcala, a member of the 7-Eleven team with Kiefel, was third in 3 minutes 18.52 seconds.

Kiefel, who has won the timetrial every year since 1983, downplayed its overall importance in the 17-stage, 15-day race that takes riders across 1,065 miles in California, Nevada and Colorado.

“In this race, it’s really close. There’s no greater difference than 30 seconds (between riders). I don’t know if it’s going to make that much of a difference,” he said.

Kiefel finished more than seven seconds slower than last year because of the cold weather and humidity.

“Getting to the finish line--the last 100 meters--that hurt,” he said.

Defending champion Greg LeMond, who won the Tour de France two weeks ago, fell while attacking the hill’s 22% grade when his bicycle chain got caught in one of his wheels. He finished in 3 minutes 37.43 seconds.

“On the steep part of the hill I downshifted, and the chain came off and went into my wheel,” he said. “I had to get off the bike and walk up and then climb back on. There was no problem with my derailleur, I don’t know what happened.”

Davis Phinney of the 7-Eleven team finished in 3 minutes 20.65 seconds, and Jean-Francois Bernard of Red Zinger was timed in 3 minutes 21.51 seconds.

The race continues today with the 39.6-mile San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf Criterium.