Meanwhile, LeMond was moving closer to his personal confrontation with the other Soviets. The Coors Classic was decided, as it often has been, in the 10th stage, the 92-mile Morgul-Bismarck, a fearsome race held last Saturday near the outskirts of Boulder. The 13.2-mile course, none of which is protected by a hint of shade, features the Hump and the Wall, two precipitous stretches of road. Ho-hum. The Soviets had been using the course for training from the moment they had arrived in Colorado.
Early in the Morgul-Bismarck, the five U.S.S.R. riders broke ahead of the pack, although one soon faded back. "Hey, hey," shouted LeMond, calling for help as he gave pursuit. He would get none from his teammates. With about 53 miles left in the stage, the temperature was near 90�, the sun was scorching, and except for Alessandro Pozzi of Italy, who eventually got a flat tire, and Alan McCormack of Ireland, LeMond was alone with the Soviet juggernaut.
Lap after lap, he stayed right there, hanging with the Soviets and McCormack. Entering the final stretch—the 150-yard Wall—LeMond made his move. As the Russians weaved and blocked, LeMond pulled ahead and sprinted for the finish line. Yuri Barinov, bronze medalist at Moscow, stayed on LeMond's rear wheel and slingshotted past him at the finish, winning by a bike length. LeMond's second place, however, all but guaranteed him the individual title; the Russians nailed down the team championship with four of the first five places.