NATIONAL JUNIOR CYCL ING

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33654, 2 October 1974, Page 14

NATIONAL JUNIOR CYCL ING

The national cycling championships start tomorrow with the 100 km team time trial; but the juniors and boys competing at Palmerston North will be looking further ahead to their title races on Friday. On the evidence. of the Canterbury championships, the rider from this centre with the most outstanding chance in the junior grade is R. A. Campbell. The Timaru 17-year-old felt his way last season — his first in open ranks — but has blossomed into an aggressive. assertive rider. Although he went through a mediocre patch in the middle of season,

K. W. Reid was clearly the sefcond best in the Canterbsiry championships and holds a similar ranking in the provincial team. He has returned some very premising performances in recent weeks. i There can not be the stnme confidence in the rest of the Canterbury juniors, however. F. M. Schaapveld was expected to be a leading contender, but he cnuld not even cover one olf the four laps in the Canterbury championships. Tire third and fourth placeectters in that race, C. D. ia awtin — who had an Excellent result for one Still eligible by age to be ip boys’ ranks — and M. P.

J. Horne, were well beaten. As usual, there was extremely keen competition for the four places in the boys’ team. There is nothing to choose between K. P. Basher — who added the South Island title to his Canterbury championship on Sunday — T. R. Horne, P. M. Lewis and J. A. Sampson. Horne won the tough stage-race, the Watties mini-tour, but only once recently — in the first stage of that tour. — has he proved dominant in a sprint. Lewis has often appeared the best as a sprinter, but when condi-

tions are hard Sampson shines. He is the least experienced of the team, but all four, in any case, will find the Waikato sprinter, E. McKenzie, a worthy opponent. McKenzie won the Manawatu colts’ ■ tour on the strength of his sprinting ability, and it seems certain his wheel will" be that most keenly contested for in the sprint. Just as McKenzie is an outright favourite for the boys’ race — unless B. Watson (West Coast-North Island) has recovered from illness — so the national representative, J. Richards, will be hard to beat in the junior 80km.