Tour de Trump

The Tour de Trump was a road bicycle race in the United States held in 1989 and 1990 and was sponsored by Donald Trump. The Tour DuPont replaced the Tour de Trump, from 1991 to 1996.[1]

1989 Tour de Trump

On a rainy, windy evening, unknown American cyclist Thomas Craven stole the leader's jersey in the inaugural Tour de Trump, the predecessor to the Tour DuPont. Seven years later, Craven would be one of only three Americans to wear the leader's jersey in America's Premier Cycling Event.1986 Tour de France winner Greg Lemond returned to racing after his career had been shattered in a horrible accident.Lemond posted an indifferent time in the prologue and would improve only slightly as the tour progressed.

The big story of the first Tour was the strength of the US's 7-Eleven Cycling Team. While the number one and two ranked teams were present and pressuring, 7-Eleven did not crack. Norwegian Dag Otto Lauritzen broke away with two unlikely counterparts, Henk Lubberding of Panasonic and Paul Curran of England's Team Bilton.

During the Stage 2 race, Lauritzen built a handsome lead over Panasonic's Belgian top man Eric Vanderaerden. The remainder of the event, Vanderaerden chipped away at the Norwegian's lead, and a key sub-plot unrolled. Young Viatcheslav Ekimov (who would go on to win the overall event five years later) became an unknown contender after capturing the leader's jersey in Stage 1. The top pro teams were shaken by the young amateur. A planned breakaway during Stage 5 put Ekimov to rest and left the rest of the race for a battle of the titans.

Lauritzen's teammate Davis Phinney had the task of stopping Vanderaerden from picking up valuable time bonuses four stage wins. As Vanderaerden rolled to four stage wins, and drew closer to Lauritzen via big time bonuses, Phinney had to pull off two key wins to help protect time for Lauritzen.

In a dramatic final time trial in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Vanderaerden had one final chance to steal the $50,000 winner's check. While Lauritzen posted a good split time, and Vanderaerden veered (actually led by a motorcycle) 400 meters off course and lost valuable seconds. Vanderaerden and his team director Peter Post immediately protested the results, but race directors posted the results as final. Thus, Lauritzen posted a time faster to Vanderaerden, and won the first Tour in the shadows of sponsor Donald Trump's casino on the boardwalk in the famous gambling city.

There has been speculation Eric Vanderaerden's off-course excursion was intentional to allow an American-sponsored team to win the race sponsored by an American Icon. Questions remain why Eric Vanderaerden was led off course that day, especially being one of the final riders of the day when the course would be well known.

Leaders Jersey

Highlights

Top 20 General Classification

  1. Dag Otto Lauritzen (NOR) 7-Eleven 33:22.4
  2. Henk Lubberding (NED) Panasonic 1:54
  3. Eric Vanderaerden* (BEL) Panasonic 2:34
  4. Gert-Jan Theunisse (NED) PDM 3:24
  5. Davis Phinney (USA) 7-Eleven 3:43
  6. Ron Kiefel (USA) 7-Eleven 3:57
  7. Alex Stieda (CAN) 7-Eleven 5:07
  8. Allan Peiper (AUS) Panasonic 5:08
  9. Guy Nulens (NED) Panasonic 6:14
  10. Andy Hampsten (USA) 7-Eleven 6:18
  11. Sergei Khmelinin (RUS) USSR 6:39
  12. Eddy Bouwmans (NED) Netherlands 7:25
  13. Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) USSR 8:32
  14. M. Kankovsky (TCH) Czechoslovakia 8:47
  15. Teun van Vliet (NED) Panasonic 9:25
  16. Paul Curran (GBR) Bilton 10:14
  17. John Tomac (USA) Celestial Seasonings 10:36
  18. Gary Mulder (USA) CelestialSeasonings 10:38
  19. Mike Engleman (USA) Wheaties 10:47
  20. Kent Bostick (USA) Team USA 11:00

Stage by stage results

Prologue: Albany, NY (time trial)

  1. Thomas Craven (USA) Wheaties/Schwinn
  2. Sean Yates (GBR) 7-Eleven
  3. Eddy Bouwmans (NED) National Team

Stage 1: Albany, NY to New Paltz, NY

  1. Viatcheslav Ekimov (URS) National Team
  2. Gert-Jan Theunisse (NED) PDM
  3. Reynel Montoya (COL) Raylcao Postobon

Stage 2: New York City to Allentown, PA

  1. Henk Lubberding (NED) Panasonic-Isostar
  2. Dag Otto Lauritzen (NOR) 7-Eleven
  3. Paul Curran (GBR) Bilton

Stage 3: Allentown, PA to Harrisburg, PA

  1. Eric Vanderaerden (BEL) Panasonic-Isostar
  2. Viatcheslav Ekimov (URS) National Team
  3. Kai Hundertmarck (GER) National Team

Stage 4: Harrisburg, PA to Winchester, VA

  1. Gert-Jan Theunisse (NED) PDM
  2. Eric Vanderaerden (BEL) Panasonic-Isostar
  3. Davis Phinney (USA) 7-Eleven

Stage 5: Winchester, VA to Charlottesville, VA

  1. Eric Vanderaerden (BEL) Panasonic-Isostar
  2. Davis Phinney (USA) 7-Eleven
  3. Rajmund Lehnert (GER) National Team

Stage 6: Charlottesville, VA to RIchmond, VA

  1. Eric Vanderaerden (NED) Panasonic-Isostar
  2. Michel Zanoli (HOL) Coors Light-ADR
  3. Viatcheslav Ekimov (URS) National Team

Stage 7: Richmond, VA (time trial)

  1. Eric Vanderaerden (BEL) Panasonic-Isostar
  2. Viatcheslav Ekimov (URS) National Team
  3. Kent Bostick (USA) National Team

Stage 8: Arlington, VA (circuit)

  1. Davis Phinney (USA) 7-Eleven
  2. Michel Zanoli (NED) Coors Light-ADR
  3. Greg LeMond (USA) Coors Light-ADR

Stage 9: Baltimore, MD (criterium)

  1. Davis Phinney (USA) 7-Eleven
  2. Eric Vanderaerden (BEL) Panasonic-Isostar
  3. Rolf Aldag (GER) National Team

Stage 10: Atlantic City, NJ (time trial)

  1. Ron Kiefel (USA) 7-Eleven
  2. Sean Yates (GBR) 7-Eleven
  3. John Stenner (USA) National Team

1990 Tour de Trump

No one expected a 19-year-old Russian amateur to lead America's Premier Cycling Event for eight days, but Vladislav Bobrik and his teammates were strong enough to hold off the top professional teams from PDM, Panasonic and 7-Eleven, all of which had dominated the race the previous year.

Bobrik broke away with compatriots Mike McCarthy of the United States and Thierry Beck of Belgium and built a still-record 22-minute advantage over the professional peloton. When Bobrik entered onto the final finishing circuit in Richmond, Virginia, he pulled away from McCarthy and put on the leader's jersey at the finish.

His team, which included current star Evgeni Berzin, the 1994 Giro d'Italia winner, worked diligently to retain the leader's jersey until seasoned professional Raúl Alcalá of PDM pulled away from Bobrik on a hellaciously steep climb called "Devil's Kitchen" in upstate New York's Catskill Mountains. Alcala gained more than 30 minutes on the battered Bobrik and made a mark on the young Russian team.

In what became a battle of the sprinters, Germany's Olaf Ludwig of Panasonic continually outlasted the Netherlands' Michel Zanoli of Coors Light.

13 -Raúl Alcalá (MEX), PDM

Highlights

Jersey Winners

Top 20 General Classification

  1. Raúl Alcalá (MEX) PDM, 45:20:09
  2. Atle Kvålsvoll (NOR) Z  :43
  3. Erik Breukink (NED) PDM, 1:44
  4. Dmitri Zhdanov (RUS) USSR/DuPont 1:52
  5. Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) Panasonic 2:13
  6. Steve Speaks (USA) Team Crest 2:23
  7. Clark Sheehan (USA) A.C. Pinarello 3:01
  8. Ed Kacmarczyk (CAN) Canada 3:49
  9. Andy Hampsten (USA) 7-Eleven 4:02
  10. Jos Van Aert (NED) PDM 4:43
  11. Nate Reiss (USA) Subaru/Mont. 4:53
  12. Rudy Dhaenens (BEL) PDM 5:05
  13. Bryan Miller (USA) A.C. Pinarello 6:31
  14. Andy Bishop (USA) Spago 10:43
  15. V. Klishev (RUS) USSR/DuPont 13:42
  16. Thierry Beck (BEL) Lotto 16:16
  17. Thurlow Rogers (USA) Subaru/Mont. 19:59
  18. Gary Mulder (USA) Spago 21:35
  19. Mike Carter (USA) A.C. Pinarello 23:32
  20. Rudy Verdonck (BEL) Lotto 23:38

Stage by Stage Results

Prologue: Wilmington, DE (time trial)

  1. Raúl Alcalá (MEX) PDM
  2. Steve Speaks (USA) Team Crest
  3. Steve Bauer (CAN) 7-Eleven

Stage 1: Wilmington, DE to Baltimore, MD

  1. Olaf Ludwig (GER) Panasonic-Sportlife
  2. Davis Phinney (USA) 7-Eleven
  3. Michel Zanoli (HOL) Coors Light

Stage 2: Baltimore, MD (criterium)

  1. Olaf Ludwig (GER) Panasonic-Sportlife
  2. Steve Bauer (CAN) 7-Eleven
  3. Nico Verhoeven (HOL) PDM

Stage 3: Fredericksburg, VA to Richmond, VA

  1. Vladislav Bobrik (USSR-CIS) URS
  2. Mike McCarthy (USA) Subaru-Montgomery
  3. Thierry Bock (BEL) Lotto-Superclub

Stage 4: Richmond, VA (time trial)

  1. Dag Otto Lauritzen (NOR) 7-Eleven
  2. Henk Lubberding (HOL) Panasonic-Isostar
  3. Gert-Jan Theunisse (HOL) PDM

Stage 5: Richmond, VA to Charlottesville, VA

  1. Nate Reiss (USA) Subrau-Montgomery
  2. Atle Kvalsvoll (NOR) Z
  3. Raúl Alcalá (MEX) PDM

Stage 6: Charlottesville, VA to Winchester, VA

  1. Pascal Poisson (FRA) Z
  2. Paul McCormack (IRL) Team Crest
  3. Todd Gogulski (USA) Team Crest

Stage 7: Winchester, VA to Harrisburg, PA

  1. Andy Bishop (USA) Spago
  2. Philippe Casado (FRA) Z
  3. Nate Reiss (USA) Subaru-Montgomery

Stage 8: Allentown, PA to Easton, PA (time trial)

  1. Raúl Alcalá (MEX) PDM
  2. Atle Kvalsvoll (NOR) Z
  3. Dimitri Zhdanov (USSR-CIS) URS

Stage 9: Allentown, PA to Bethlehem, PA (circuit)

  1. Olaf Ludwig (GER) Panasonic-Sportlife
  2. Craig Schommer (USA) Team Crest
  3. Maximillian Sciandri (ITA) Carrera

Stage 10: Stroudsburg, PA to New Paltz, NY

  1. Michel Zanoli (HOL) Coors Light
  2. Ron Kiefel (USA) 7-Eleven
  3. Marc van Orsouw (HOL) PDM

Stage 11: New York City (Criterium)

  1. Ed Kaczmarczyk (CAN) Team Canada/Magicuts
  2. Michel Lafis (SWE) Swedish National Team
  3. Mike McCarthy (USA) Subaru-Montgomery

Stage 12: Catskill, NY to Albany, NY

  1. James Urbonas (USA) Spago
  2. Steve Speaks (GBR) Team Crest
  3. Nate Reiss (USA) Subaru-Montgomery

Stage 13: Northampton, MA to Boston, MA

  1. Michel Zanoli (HOL) Coors Light
  2. Olaf Ludwig (GER) Panasonic-Sportlife
  3. Davis Phinney (USA) 7-Eleven

References

  1. ↑ Gelbert, Doug (1995). The Great Delaware Sports Book. Cruden Bay Books. ISBN 0-9644427-0-1.