L. J. Byers Expected To Win Three-Day Cycle Race

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30215, 21 August 1963, Page 13

L. J. Byers Expected To Win Three-Day Cycle Race

I,''OUR Empire Games 1 representatives, including the powerful L. J. Byers (Auckland', bronze medial winner at Perth, are among a talented field of 45 riders to contest the Dulux threeday cycle tour of Canterbury tomorrow, Friday and Saturday. The event, which should be the highlight of the amateur road cycling season in the province, will cover 323 miles m six half-day stages. Speeds are expected to average 24 miles an hour rising to almost 50 miles an hour on some downhill s.retches Prizes worth more than £750 will be war by the placed riders. Byers will undoubted!' start the favourite. Gael year he towered like a giant over other road riders, winning the New Zealand ICO-mile championship, the Dulux six-day tour, the Dunedin two-day tour and

gaining second place in the Tour of Sou.ih'.'and. Among his chief rivals will be R. Johnstone (Auckland', who was second to

Byeis in both the 100-miie championship and the sixclay tour last year. The 27-year-old Johnstone represented New Zealand at the last two Empire Games. Two other riders in the field with Empire Games experience are L. D. Payne (Maniawatu) and R. J. Peoples (Wellington). Payne, although 30. is reported to be riding up to his old form. He was national road champion in 1952-54-58 and competed ait both the Vancouver and Cardiff Empiads. The longlimbed Peoples, a devastating sprinter, was New Zealand road champion in 1960 and a member of the Dominion’s road team at Cardiff. A rider who has met with great success as a tour rider is T. G. Lankow (Wanganui), twice winner of the six-day tour and national IDO-miles champion on one occasion. Last year Lankow set a new record in gaining fastest time in the Canterbury “Round the Gorges” event and impressed as a potential winner of this tour.

Among other prominent visiting riders will be T. J Morris (Auckland), B. J Harcourt (Auckland), B G oldsworthy (Southland). D K. Grave iMan&watu). J Kuiper (Auckland), A. Ineson and R. Giles (both Southland), B. F. Manniing (Marlborough' and an Australian, B. J. Gleeson.

Canterbury’s main hope for winning the tour is R. Mann, a 20-year-old mechanic. He is a powerful sprinter who has taken fastest time on many occasions this season.

The veteran R Fowler and the 17-y ear-old T Tabak are other Canterbury competitors who could be prominent. Fowler, a consistent rider and a fine tactician, won tiie Ashburton-to-Christohurcb race in June —Tabak taking fastest time with a devastating sprint—and this month won the Amanda Wilkes Trophy Race for the second year in succession. /