TASMANIAN TOUR

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32701, 2 September 1971, Page 14

TASMANIAN TOUR

N.Z. man heads B grade (N.Z. press Assn.—Copyright) HOBART. Th. Wellington cyclist, R. Davies, seems set to win the B grad, division In th. "Ex.mIn.r" Tour of the North cycling classic. Although h. lost ground in the second day of the five-day, MO-mlle tour yesterday, Davies is well ahead of the other B grade riders, and is placed fourth in the field of 17. Neither of the two other New Zealanders had much success yesterday and are virtually out of the running. K. Collins (Wellington) dropped from eighth place over-all on Tuesday to twelfth place yesterday, while H. R. Bush (Canterbury) moved from twenty-third on Tuesday to twenty-first yesterday. Yesterday’s stage involved a 127-mile ride from Wynyard to Smithton and back to Devonport on Tasmania’s north-west coast.

A. Goodrope (Victoria) managed to take the lead held yesterday by a fellow Victorian, J. Trevorrow, now placed well down. Goodrope, with the Vlctdrians D. Wilson and R. Tankard, left the main bunch for dead over a 50-mile stretch. At times they were 4mln clear of their closest rivals and averaging 24 miles an hour! Davies had a generally good ride yesterday but tailed off at times', mainly because of fatigue after his brilliant effort which had him first in at Wynyard yesterday. He said that he was not used to long distances. Collins had a bad day and is now four placings and 3 J min down on Tuesday.