Florida’s Kish Is Leader at Halfway Point

The city of Cone probably means little to most travelers on Texas Route 207. The town has fewer than 300 people, a few broken-down pickups and a handful of small stores, most of them vacant.

But to the Race Across America riders, Cone’s location makes it memorable. Getting there means they are halfway through the 2,922-mile cross-country bicycle race.

Rob Kish of Port Orange, Fla., was the first of the men’s leaders to pass through Cone at about noon (PDT) Thursday. Kish spent the rest of the day holding on to the lead he gained Thursday morning.

Kish, a 35-year-old land surveyor, was in Snyder--1,542 miles into the race--at 9 p.m. (PDT).

Bob Fourney of Denver, Wednesday’s leader, is in second place, 1 hour 53 minutes behind Kish. Al Muldoon of St. Joseph, Mich., is third, three hours back. Rich Fedrigon of Chicago is fourth, four hours off the lead.

Jim Penseyres of San Juan Capistrano is ninth, nearly 19 hours behind Kish.

This is Kish’s fifth RAAM and his best finish was fifth place in 1988. He was seventh last year.

“He’s feeling great,” one of Kish’s crew members said. “He’s out front and he loves it. He’s never been there before.”

Most past winners say the race really doesn’t start until the riders reach the Mississippi River, but Kish still has to be the early favorite.

He is 667 miles from the river, but the remainder of the race will be on mostly flat roads in humid conditions, something the Florida resident is used to.

The women’s race is closer now that the top three riders have cleared the mountains in Colorado. After 1,106 miles, Nancy Reposo of Newport, R.I., continues in front, but has only a 1-hour 50-minute lead as of 9 p.m. (PDT) in Trinidad, Colo. She led by nearly 11 hours Wednesday night. Cheryl Marek of Seattle has moved from fifth place to second. Michelle Grainger of Portland, Ore., is third, 3 hours 21 minutes off the lead.

The tandem team of Lon Haldeman of Harvard, Ill., and Pete Penseyres of Fallbrook had been in the lead the past two days, but nutritional troubles for Penseyres have slowed them considerably.

Bob Breedlove of Des Moines, Iowa, and Roger Charleville of Cincinnati have opened up a 17-hour lead. The two are even with the women’s leaders, after starting the race Monday, a day after the individual riders left.

Texas will represent the longest challenge to the riders, who will be in the Lone Star state for 773 miles.

Although the scenery changes some, the length of time in the state is expected to be the biggest mental test for the riders, according to Randy Ice, a physical therapist who works with several of them.

“They pride themselves on being big in Texas,” Ice said. “But it’s going to be a real big problem.”

RACE ACROSS AMERICA AUG. 9 STATUS:

Temperature: 92 degrees

Conditions: mostly sunny with 10-15 m.p.h. tailwinds

Leader: Rob Kish, 35, of Port Orange, Fla.

Location: Snyder, Tex., 1,542 miles into the race.