Cooper retains 5sec lead over Mullan

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33047, 14 October 1972, Page 48

Cooper retains 5sec lead over Mullan

(From R. M. CAIRNS) INVERCARGILL. The national champion, L. A. Cooper (Wellington), and the Canterbury rider, J. P. S. Mullan, continued to set the pace on the second day of the Tour of Southland yesterday.

Cooper managed to retain his ssec lead by collecting valuable seconds by way of bonus for his hill-climbing ability. But Cooper, though he is in common with the rest of the field in being unable to match Mullan as a sprinter, has picked up his second placings regularly and this has forced the other main contenders to slip down the field. V. J. Hanaray (Hastings), who was a lack-lustre Olympic cyclist yesterday, is 15 sec behind the leader. B. N. Ulyatt (Napier) is at 18sec, M. J. Hughes (Southland) at 24sec, B. G. Stockwell (Canterbury) a further second behind, and T. Young (Southland) at 32sec. The next rider, D. Manssen (Palmerston North), is Bmin 44sec behind, and the other five survivors, at intervals

back to 43Jmin, include three Canterbury riders, H. R. Bush, C. J. Tabak, and J. H. Chesmar. In fact, Canterbury riders, even accounting for the fact that Hanaray and Ulyatt jointly, then Cooper, have worn the yellow jersey, have been very dominant. Mullan has won three stages, and R. K. Anderson, forced out by mechanical difficulties on the first day, bounced back yesterday morning to win the valuable 20-mile stage. He withdrew in the afternoon. Two of the lesser-placed Canterbury riders contributed to the afternoon’s entertainment. Tabak and Chesmar, after 11 miles, broke away with Ulyatt and stayed with him, contributing their share for 30 miles in which time their lead over the bunch was increased to smin. But Ulyatt, although he nursed the two Canterbury riders, finally broke away and spent another 20 miles on his own. In that time, he consolidated his lead in the King of the Mountains section, and also displaced Mullan as sprint ace. Chesmar admitted that he “blew up,” but Tabak was the unlucky rider. Still going strongly, he had punctured and had to wait smin for a replacement wheel while the service vehicle was miles away. It was a disappointing belmish on the organisation of one of New Zealand’s most popular tours and some small allowance should have been made to Tabak, who overnight was matching the top riders. The seniors of the tour showed little interest in the cat-and-mouse tactics of the morning stage, and one by one the lesser lights were allowed to ride away. Six of them, headed by R. K. Anderson (Canterbury), finally reached Otautau first, but Mullan maintained his record of not having been beaten in a sprint yet by heading the bunch for seventh.

He is collecting an impressive array of trophies and sashes. The ultimate honour still lies ahead of him, with Cooper in the way. But Ulyatt—in spite of his brave, but foolish, 50-mile effort yesterday—and Stockwell have been coasting along. A strong effort by one or both would not come as a surprise today. Hanaray, too, is a dangerous opponent and cannot be discounted.