Secrest Loses and Then Regains the Lead in Bicycle Race

Michael Secrest of Flint, Mich., lost his lead and then regained it Wednesday as the riders completed the fifth day of the Race Across America, a 3,117-mile bicycle race from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.

Secrest arrived at 6 p.m. (PDT) at the checkpoint at the Colorado/Kansas border, 1,518 miles into the race.

Secrest rested for two hours early Wednesday morning and was passed in the Rocky Mountains by Franz Spilauer of Austria. But Secrest was able to pass Spilauer during the day as the riders headed toward flat ground.

The riders reached the highest elevation Wednesday morning when they rode through Berthoud Pass at 11,307 feet. The final 1,500 miles of the race will be on mostly flat ground.

Secrest opened a three-hour lead as Spilauer, tired after not resting during the night, fell back. Secrest is riding an average of 22 hours a day, covering 355 miles a day.

Bob Forney of Evergreen, Colo., is in third place, four hours behind the leader, and Rob Templin of San Diego is in fourth, six hours behind the leader. Jim Penseyres of San Clemente is in 11th place, eight hours behind the leader.

Casey Patterson of Topanga had a 2-hour lead over Cheryl Marek of Seattle as the women riders reached Denver, 1,344 miles into the race.