CYCLING RACE ACROSS AMERICA : Forney Wins for 2nd Consecutive Year

For the second consecutive year, Bob Forney won the Race Across America, crossing the finish line of the cross-country bicycle race early Monday morning in Savannah, Ga.

Forney, a 33-year-old mapmaker from Denver, finished at 2:33 a.m. (PDT), more than 3 1/2 hours ahead of his nearest competitor, Rob Kish of Port Orange, Fla., who finished second for the second consecutive year.

Forney, who spelled his surname “Fourney” during last year’s race but dropped a letter before this year’s event, according to a spokesman at race headquarters, pulled away from Kish in the final stages of the 2,930-mile race. Forney’s official time of 8 days 16 hours 44 minutes was more than five hours longer than his winning time last year. This year’s course, which followed nearly the same route as last year’s, was about seven miles longer.

Kish, 36, finished in 8:20:32, Gerry Tatray of Sydney, Australia, was third in 9:03:38 and David Kees of Auburn, Calif., finished in 9:08:08. Pat Ward of San Jose and Jeff Brain of Bonney Lake, Wash., also finished Monday.

Forney spent most of the first few days of the race, which began July 27 in Irvine, within a couple of hours of the leaders. As he did last year, he made his move in his home state of Colorado, taking the lead for the first time early Tuesday morning about 100 miles into the state. He passed Loren Godshall of Los Altos on a day that included a ride over Wolf Creek Pass, which at 10,850 feet is the highest point on the course.

Kish briefly took the lead in Texas and again in Louisiana, but Forney regained it for good at 9:22 a.m. Saturday in Forest, Miss., about 600 miles from Savannah.

Forney has now completed three of the five Race Across America events that he has started--he dropped out of the 1986 and ’88 races and finished fourth in ’87. He averaged 14 m.p.h. and 335 miles per day during this year’s race.

In the women’s division, Cathy Ellis of Cambridge, Mass., continues to lead. She passed through Hunter Heights, La., 2,222 miles into the race at 5 p.m. In second place about 120 miles back is Debbie Ann Breaud of Burleson, Tex. If Ellis maintains her average speed of 9.9 m.p.h., she will reach Savannah at about 4 p.m. Thursday.

The mixed tandem team of Cherie and Tom Moore of Orange reached Clinton, Miss., 2,265 miles into the race, at 4:36 p.m. They are projected to complete the race at about 10 a.m. Thursday.