BICYCLING RACE ACROSS AMERICA : Australian Leads by 4 Minutes After First Day of Competition

Gerry Tatray from Sydney, Australia, had the early lead as Race Across America moved into its first night.

Tatray had a four-minute lead over John Stoneman of Bozeman, Mont., as the leaders passed the second time station at Desert Center, Calif., at 7:03 p.m., 186 miles into the race.

The 2,930-mile race, in its 10th year, started at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Irvine Holiday Inn.

The winner is expected to reach the finish line in Savannah, Ga., in about eight days.

Loren Godshall (7:19 p.m.) of Los Altos is in third place, Rick Kent (7:31 p.m.) of Houston and Bob Fourney (7:31 p.m.) of Denver are tied for fourth. Fourney is the defending champion in the race, which follows nearly the same path it did when he won last year in 8 days 11 hours 26 minutes.

The riders, who were in temperatures that exceeded 100 degrees most of the first day, will enter Arizona overnight and should reach Prescott by this morning, and Flagstaff by nightfall.

The four women entrants, all rookies, were through the first time station in Beaumont, Calif., Saturday evening. Debbie Ann Breaud of Burleson, Tex., went past the time station at 6:25 p.m., 84 miles into the race. Cathy Ellis (6:34 p.m.) of Cambridge, Mass., was second. Susan France (6:35 p.m.) of Portland was third.