Road race winner moving into professional ranks

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33450, 4 February 1974, Page 10

Road race winner moving into professional ranks

(By

R. M. CAIRNS)

The sight of family groups idly munching sandwiches under the trees on the banks of the shaded Heathcote River early on Saturday afternoon suggested a quiet week-end in quiet Christchurch.

But less than an hour i earlier, the riverbanks ’ and the streets of Cash- < mere were crammed to i bursting point by the ' biggest crowds to watch ' cycling in Canterbury. , They had seen Clyde Set-1 ton, a 23-year-old Australian, take the "first steps towards a professional career by winning the Games road race. It lasted more than five: hours in sweltering heat, with temperatures recorded at 30 degrees, but it was only 20min old when Sefton. Phil ' Griffiths (England) and an-; other seven riders broke; away from the bunch. ( First to last i A little more than 100 1 miles later, Sefton was still 1 in front, half a minute clear 1 of Griffiths, while the two;' disputing third place, Remo;] Sansonetti (Australia) —who 1 got the bronze medal — andVern Hanaray (New Zealand);! were more than lOmin back, i This tells what a 1 spectacularly gruesome race t it was. Perhaps some of the < grumbling visitors were right; when thev complained that s the course was too hard and r that frequent defections J would detract from the race’s is appeal. t But the object of the exer-|t else was to find a Common-If wealth champion and Sefton r clearlv was the champion on ‘ this day. • Late selection Ironically, Sefton was originally omitted from the i ( Australian team, while Grif-; t tiths was sent home from his , last Games, the Munich , Olympics. Sefton had a splendid year before returning to Australia last winter. After his silver! medal at Munich, he won the!. Scottish Milk Race . The j strenuous European racing ' took its toll of Sefton, how- ’ ever, and he was a disap-j.

pointment in the Australian trial races. As John Nicholson, the sprint champion, said before the Games started, the Australian selectors for once took cognisance of overseas performances and Sefton belatedly won his place. Pro. team full For Griffiths, the silver medal he won was a i triumphant return after the disgrace of being sent home! from Munich. His mis-, demeanours there were sulking in a bad way after being omitted from the road time trial team, and threatening to damage the cycles of those chosen. But the second placing will not open for Griffiths the same doors as it will for Sefton. The Englishman had hoped to turn professional but has found that the two vacancies in the Raleigh European team have been filled. Sefton, in the manner of his predecessor in the road race, Bruce Biddle (New Zealand) is “almost certain” to sign for an Italian team, ICervio. His all-round qualities; should suit him in the rat-' race that cycling for cash is I jin Europe. He was the jstrongest of all on the hills, land although he won alone jand no sprint was necessary, ‘Sefton is. according to his I modest manager. Les Dunn, “the greatest road sprinter in the world.” Differing opinions Sefton said he found the race very hard, but he was I convinced, riding the hill for I the sixteenth and penultimate time, that he would stay clear and beat Griffiths in the event of a sprint. His own aggression put paid to that. “I attacked on [the hill in the last lap to see how Griffiths was. and found myself going away,” said ' Sefton afterwards. Griffiths did not quite I agree. “The course beat me,” iwas his interpretation of how things had gone. Haparay had no excuses I for failing to secure the victory that so many had predicted for him. "It was a good race, no grudges. I got a lesson in cycle racing,” he said. Undoubtedly this was a reference to the break after 10 miles which included Sefton and Griffiths. Lacking experience To Hanaray, this may have seemed too early, but he does not have the European experience that Sefton has, and which told the

; eventual winner that early breaks are often winners.

i “Garry (Bell) went up ; there, and I thought we had lone in the break so I should stay where I was,” said Hanaray. “But not jumping on to the break cost me all chance as I eventually felt it was up to me to close the 'gap, and with Remo (Sansonetti) and Phil Edwards (of England) blocking for their I team-mates, it was rather difficult.” Hanaray said that Austra- ; lia. especially, and England had stronger all-round teams. “Only Garry and myself went well, and we were fifth and fourth, so it shows we could have made an impression with a full, fit squad.” Barry Ulyatt was ill on the day, with influenza, and had a sleepless night. Lyn Cooper, found the rigours of the race too taxing for his damaged knee and the lack of the very best preparation, tion. Cut down lead Bell’s performance in taking fifth place was most impressive and, in the final! lap, he made heavy inroads lon the lead established over, jhim by Hanaray and Sanso-; netti. These two, who appealed most as the race favourites before the event, were as strong as each other and were two very tired men at the finish.

, The nine-man breakaway i had a lead of between three :and a half and four minutes I over the big names, HanaHray, Sansonetti and Edwards, [{with intermediate chasers in .between of whom only jiCooper made contact. But the others, who inHeluded Bell, were shaken off between 45 and 50 miles as Griffiths and Sefton made Their united break. Bell and the Australian. Robin Croker, stayed together, in pursuit but losing ground, land the real threatening | period to Sefton and I Griffiths seemed to be after .‘6O miles. Lost impetus i This was when Hanaray had his best patch in the I race and stormed through the stragglers from the • breakaway. Then Edwards crashed, : and this seemed to take a little of the impetus from the move. That was the last impression Hanaray and the (rest were to make and the j finish was almost an anti'climax. ■ Sefton’s win was the first by an Australian since 1950, also in New Zealand, when ■fine team-riding gave Hec I Sutherland victory over Nick Carter (New Zealand). And ■ ! Griffiths’s medal was the (first for England since Wes ■Mason outsprinted Tony i Walsh and Laurie Byers for 'the gold at Perth in 1962.