There were a few surprises for cyclists who came to Winston-Salem for the time-trials competition of the N.C. State Games yesterday.

Gold-medal victories by Chris Harkey, a national champion and 12-hour-endurance world-record holder, and Ryan Jenkins, a men's masters champion, weren't among them. Harkey (Senior Elite 1) and Jenkins both took the hilly, wind-blown course in stride and beat their competition by more than a minute.

'(They) just screamed through this course,' said Ken Putnam, the race coordinator.

Harkey, of Charlotte, dominated the field that faced an unexpectedly strong headwind from the start, with winds measured at 25 mph. On a course that proved to be too hilly for many, Harkey finished in 38:58:65, which beat silver medalist Joseph D'antoni of Raleigh by 1:24.

Jenkins' performance of 41:42.64 would have been good enough to win the bronze in the Men's Elite 1. The Elite 1 category is the highest level of amateur cycling.

The course rolled through northern Yadkin and southern Surry counties. It drew both praise and criticism.

'Time trials are supposed to be flat,' Geoffrey Brace said. 'This was like a road-race course, and a tough road-race course at that.'

Brace, 53, of Raleigh, finished in 52:51.9 and missed a bronze medal in the men's Senior Elite 5 division by 26 seconds.

'I'm originally from England, and every time trial I've ever run has been on flat road. I don't ride hills,' Brace said.

'Maybe he shouldn't have left (England),' Putnam said. 'There's always someone who wishes you did it different, but most people want something challenging.'

Putnam said he selected the layout of the course because he wanted to give visitors from around the state a chance to experience cycling in and around Winston-Salem.

'Most time trials are set in the east, where it's a lot flatter, so I guess there were some who expected that. But when I set this up, my goal was to show off the area. Why should we set something up in our area that replicates the coast?' he said.

Jonathan Kelly of Winston-Salem said he agreed.

'I don't mind it because I love hills. I was excited to come out here and run this course. This is our area, it's beautiful,' he said.

While the cyclers welcomed the sunshine, the surprisingly strong headwind proved to be frustrating for some. Several competitors tried to overcome the wind with last-minute equipment changes.

David Easter of Cary put a disc cover on his rear wheel in an attempt to gain an advantage.

'The tradeoff with a disc wheel is weight, I hoped it would reduce the drag, but that wind still knocked me around,' Easter said.

Easter beat Kelly for the bronze in the Men's Senior Elite category 4 by .47 in the 30-kilometer race.

'The wind was definitely frustrating,' silver medalist Alicia Parr said. 'Even on the downhill, it knocked you right back, but once you get by the river, the wind died down. Then you could enjoy the scenery.'

Putnam said he was grateful for the chance to organize the event for State Games of North Carolina.

'There's a lot of flavor in this time trial, because of what the course offers. These riders from around the state just got a chance to ride roads that are not heavily traveled, past incredible vistas, and beautiful countryside,' Putnam said. 'Just outside of Winston are some of the greatest places to ride in the eastern United States.'