Cyclists Head South to Pedal Good Will

The first question Alan Berardo’s friends pose when they learn he’s competing in a bicycle race in war-ravaged Nicaragua is--did he remember to pack his flak jacket?

Then they often ask how he’s going to dodge the gunfire on his Skip Hujsak 14-speed racing bicycle.

It’s partly because of such naivete that Berardo is looking forward to racing in Nicaragua.

“It’s an opportunity to do both, race and learn about the politics,” Berardo said. “There’s a whole other side to Nicaragua that you don’t see on the news.”

The Nicaragua Cycling Federation invited Berardo and Dan Hinton of Valencia to compete in the “Tour of Nicaragua,” a weeklong series of races in Managua beginning July 5.

Berardo, 20, and Hinton, 18, will race for a four-man team, the only U. S. team in a field dominated by Central and South American cyclists. It will mark the first time a U. S. team has competed in the race.

The two College of the Canyons students were invited because of Berardo’s contacts with cyclists who previously have raced in Nicaragua. They will participate in four road races and a criterium through the streets of Managua, the Nicaraguan capital.

Both Berardo and Hinton are top Valley-area amateur cyclists. Hinton was named the best all-around cyclist at the Encino Velodrome in 1987. Berardo, who has not raced this year because of an injured Achilles’ tendon, primarily competes in the longer road races.

The amateur cyclists plan to donate any prize money they win to a Nicaraguan relief organization.

“My friends who have raced down there said they have never had any problems,” Berardo said. “The people have been very nice to Americans.

“I think this will be a sign of good will that Americans care enough to come down and race.”