Soviet, Dutch Teams Score Cycling Gold : World meet: The U.S. women take the silver medal in the team time trial in Japan. The men don’t fare as well.
UTSUNOMIYA, Japan — The Soviet Union won its fifth gold medal at the World Cycling Championship today on a victory by its men’s pursuit team, and the Netherlands, led by world pursuit champion Leontien van Moorsel, won the women’s team time trial.
The U.S. team of Inga Thompson, Eve Stephenson, Phyllis Hines and Maureen Manley took the silver medal in the women’s race in 1 hour, 4 minutes, 7 seconds.
The bronze medal went to the defending champion Soviet Union, which was clocked in 1:04:21.
In the men’s race, the Soviet Union came from behind to win the 100-kilometer (62-mile) time trial in 1:56:50, for an average speed of 31.52 m.p.h.
The Soviet team consisted of Oleg Galkine, Rouslane Zotov, Igor Patenko and Alexander Markovnitchenko.
East Germany was second in 1:57:05, edging West Germany.
The U.S. team of Nate Reiss, Lance Armstrong, Jim Copeland and Nathan Sheafor led in the first half but the Soviet Union spurted ahead in the second half of the race.
The Americans finished in seventh place in 1:59:18.
U.S. team officials said Armstrong suffered a mechanical problem during the race.
In the women’s race, the Netherlands overcame a slow start and spurted ahead halfway through the race and went on to win, covering 50 kilometers (31 miles) in 1:03:51, for an average speed of 28.55 m.p.h. The team members were Van Moorsel, Monique Knol, Cora Westland and Astrid Schop.
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