While Kenny Harriot expanded his sizeable lead Saturday in The Alaska Challenge handcycle race, Palmer's Andrew Kurka made a move that puts him in a four-way battle for third place overall.
Two stages were held Saturday as the race works its way to a Monday finish at Hatcher Pass.
Racers competed in a 9.8-mile time trial in Denali National Park in the morning and a 31.8-mile road race on the Parks Highway in the afternoon.
Harriot, a 53-year-old from Scotland who was injured 15 years ago in a motorcycle accident, set the pace in both stages. He won the time trial in 25 minutes, 38 seconds and the road race in 1:38:47.
Harriot's total time through six stages is 9:08:41. He owns a 33-minute lead over David Neumer, 52, a career Special Forces officer from Chicago who was wounded in Afghanistan in 2009.
Behind Harriot and Neumer are four racers separated by less than seven minutes.
One of them is Kurka, a 23-year-old who was 13 when he was injured in an ATV accident. On Saturday, Kurka posted the third-best time in the time trial (30:35) and shared the third-fastest time in the road race time (1:59:51).
At 11:17:41 is Washington's Ryan Kelling, 36, who was injured in a construction accident. At 11:20:31 is Muffy Davis, 42, a Utah woman who was paralyzed in a skiing accident at age 16. At 11:23:34 is Keith Winchell, 52, a New York Police Department motorcycle cop who was injured while pursuing a suspect.
On Sunday, racers will go 58.2 miles in a road race in the Talkeetna area. It starts Denali View South pullout and ends at the Kashwitna Lakes pullout.
Competition in the 267-mile race ends Monday with a hill climb up Hatcher Pass to Independence Mine.
The Alaska Challenge
Stage 5
9.8-mile time trial
Denali National Park
Women – 1) Muffy Davis 34:07; 2) Ashli Molinero 41:13.
H4 men – David Neumer 28:31; 2) Andrew Kurka 30:35; 3) Keith Winchell 31:39; 4) Mike O'Neill 36:42.
H3 men – 1) Ryan Kelling 32:29; 2) Anthony Pedeferri 34:46.
H2 men – 1) Kenny Herriot 25:38; 2) Wesley Bergin 34:55.
Stage 6
31.8-mile road race
Parks Highway, Mile 191 to Mile 159
Women – 1) Davis 2:01:56; 2) Molinero 3:44:16.
H4 men – 1) Neumer 1:47.51; 2) Kurka 1:59:51; 3) Winchell 2:02:59; 4) O'Neill 2:25:40.
H3 men – 1) Kelling 1:59:51; 2) Pedeferri 2:01:56.
H2 men – 1) Harriot 1:38:47; 2) Bergin 2:11:31.
Overall standings
(six of eight stages)
Women – 1) Davis 11:20:31; 2) Molinero 13:44:16.
H4 men – 1) Neumer 9:41:36; 2) Winchell 11:23:34; 3) Kurka 11:24:28; 4) O'Neill 13:12:11.
H3 men – 1) Kelling 11:17:41; 2) Pedeferri 12:41:12.
H2 men – 1) Harriot 9:08:41; 2) Bergin 12:10:58.