CYCLING RACE ACROSS AMERICA : Fourney Closes In on Second Title in a Row

Bob Fourney’s bid to win Race Across America for the second consecutive year appears well within his reach as he passed through Jacksonville, Ga., Sunday afternoon.

Fourney, a 33-year-old mapmaker from Denver, holds a one-hour 37-minute lead over Rob Kish of Port Orange, Fla. The same pair battled over the mostly flat roads of Georgia last year before Fourney won.

Fourney went past Jacksonville at 4:59 p.m. (PDT).

Fourney, who is averaging 13.9 m.p.h. and 334 miles per day, was expected to reach the finish line along the Savannah River at about 2 a.m. today. The 2,930 mile bicycle race started at 9 a.m. July 27 in Irvine.

Kish passed through Jacksonville at 6:37 p.m. Sunday. They are the only two riders through Jacksonville. Gerry Tatray of Australia, the top rookie in the field, is in third place, but about 12 hours behind Fourney.

Cathy Ellis of Cambridge, Mass., continues to lead the women’s division. She was through Marshall, Tex., 2,007 miles into the race, as of 5:59 p.m. Sunday. Ellis holds about a 16-hour lead over second-place Debbie Ann Breaud of Burleson, Tex. If Ellis maintains her speed of 10 m.p.h., she is estimated to reach Savannah at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

The mixed tandem team of Cherie and Tom Moore of Orange had reached Fillmore, La., as of 7:08 p.m. and is projected to complete the race at about 11 a.m. Thursday.