Strong Aust. Entry In Six-Day Race

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31169, 20 September 1966, Page 17

Strong Aust. Entry In Six-Day Race

“The Press" Special Service

WELLINGTON.

What looks like being the strongest Australian line*up yet is likely to visit New Zealand for the Dulux six-day cycle race in November.

This was announced yesterday by the organiser of the Auckland to Wellington race, Mr A. A. Pennington, of the Poneke Amateur Cycling Club.

Several top Australian riders have lodged firm entries, while others are almost certain to confinn their preliminary inquiries. Leading visitors for the race, which starts in Auckland on October 31 and fin-

ishes in Wellington on November 5, are likely to be M. Powell and R. Hollingsworth of Victoria, and Queensland’s Savimaki. Second to the Jamaican silver medallist, D. R. Thomson, in last year’s 650-mile classic, Powell hag put in many brilliant rides in New Zealand over recent seasons and is obviously in fine form, judging by the way he lead Australia’s toughest tour for 340 of the 650 miles earlier this month. Only last month Hollings-

worth won the Victorian road title, the most difficult state championship to win in Australia, as virtually all the leading cyclist live in, or near, Melbourne. In the Tokyo Olympic road race he finished eleven hundredths of a second behind the winner, and, incidently, beat the winners of both the 1965 and 1966 Tours de France, Felice Gimondi, of Italy, and Lucien Aimar, of France. Now aged 22, Savimaki has represented Queensland on both road and track since 1959. His fastest time in the Sydney-Goulburn classic last year, together with his performances in several state titles, are excellent recommendations for his chances in the six-day race. A most colourful rider, Savimaki will be supported by two other Toowong Club members, R. Sams and J. Hutchinson, both 23.

This will be the seventh year that the six-day race has been staged, and it is now firmly established as the major tour in the Australasian calendar. The usual big New Zealand entry is expected, and all eyes will be on the Canterbury champion, T. J. Tabak, in his first six-day ride. He impresses as the ideal type for this gruelling event and has already won the three-day Southland tour.