TOUR DE FRANCE : Soviet Riders Are 1-2 in 20th Stage

MACON, France —  When the Soviet Union began to allow its cyclists to compete in the Tour de France two years ago, Vyacheslav Ekimov became one of the first to exchange his athletic ability for a pro sports contract in Western dollars.

During Friday’s 20th stage, Ekimov paid big dividends by winning a leg of cycling’s most prestigious race for the first time. Ekimov used his powerful time-trial skills to pull away from the field of 158 cyclists with 2 1/2 miles remaining in the 99-mile grind from Aix les Bains to Macon, a city on the Saone River in East Central France.

“Four kilometers (about 2 1/2 miles) is my distance from track riding,” said Ekimov, the world champion and amateur record-holder in the four-kilometer individual pursuit. “I heard a lot of noise from the crowd, which pumped me up and carried me to the finish.”

The 24-year-old from Leningrad became the second consecutive Soviet rider to win a stage of the Tour, after Dmitri Konyshev’s victory Thursday. Because only professionals race in the Tour de France, no Soviet competitor rode in a Tour until 1989. This year, Soviet riders have combined for four stage victories, and Djamolidine Abdoujaparov of the Soviet Union finished second in Friday’s stage.

Abdoujaparov has also helped to protect the coveted green points jersey, which is awarded daily to the Tour’s best sprinter at selected points.

Miguel Indurain of Spain, who finished seven seconds behind Ekimov Friday, remained comfortably in front in the overall standings with two stages left.

Greg LeMond remained eighth overall, 12:25 behind Indurain. Fellow American Andy Hampsten was seventh, 9:43 behind the leader.

“Today was a great victory for me; this is the start of my new career,” said Ekimov, who set 10 world records as an amateur before signing a reported $500,000 contract with Panasonic-Sportlife last season. “With a big contract there is big pressure.”

For many cyclists, winning a stage of the Tour de France is a career goal. Ekimov satisfied one career goal while reducing the pressure he has felt since being called the world’s best young cyclist last year.

Ekimov is one of the fortunate cyclists with the opportunity to display his talent. More than 80,000, the reported number of competitive cyclists in the Soviet Union, are looking at Ekimov, Konyshev, and Abdoujaparov, as the trail blazers to professional contracts and big money in Western Europe and America.

“The day was also a good day for Soviet cycling,” Ekimov said. “There are many great Soviet cyclists that can be strong in the world, but not all have my opportunity. Soviet cyclists here (seven in the Tour de France) have set a good example.”

Will the example be heard or seen back home, though? Of the 950 credentialed media covering this year’s Tour de France, not one is from the Soviet Union.