Schaapveld has happy week-end

Press, 16 August 1976, Page 19

Schaapveld has happy week-end

Frank Schaapveld enjoyed on Saturday and yesterday by far his best week-end of cash cycling since switching codes earlier In the winter. First, the 18-year-old Schaapveld won fastest time in the Ashburton to Christchurch 80km classic, and with it the South Island title — and just by the way, junior fastest time as well.

Then, in the heart of the city yesterday, Schaapveld added the Town Hall criterium to his two days pickings, though it was a desperately close decision and earned the hard way. Kevin Radburnd, first equal in the same event last year, was the most consistent of the early points scorers, and it seemed early, with three sprints still to be decided, that he could not be headed off. But it was then, with eight of the 30 laps remaining, that Schaapveld broke away. He won the third-last and penultimate sprints, and at the same time Radburnd’s chances evaporated. He still had a very good chance, but then it was no chance as Tom Hartill and Clayton Yaxley led another break. which appeared likely to catch Schaapveld on the death-knock. But Schaapveld went away again for the double points that gave him victory- by a single point, and Hartill’s last-sprint second placing drew him up level with Radburnd, caught at the back and missing the break. The brisk tail breeze removed from the Ashburton race any real prospect of backmarkers making

l any progress through the field.; Indeed, the strong scratch bunch | was unable to make any impres-i sion on the 3Jmin riders — who were only five against the backmark’s eight — and it was only in the second half of the race that they caught any of the 2min! they eventually gained. That! was mainly due to Hartill and Steve Doherty, but at the end. Schaapveld was simply too strong. Abbreviations used in the results are: Tinwald (T.)J Dunedin (D.), Hornby (H.)» and Timaru (Tu). Ashburton to Christchurch 80km.—E. Ward (T., 2lm in) 1. R. Hill (D., 16£min) 2, R. Craig (H-, 14Amin) 3, B. Collett (H., 26min) 4, ~R. McGee (T., 14Jmin) 5, C. Woods (H., 18imin) 6, S. Carvel) (D., 28min) 7, M. Jamieson (H.» 164 min) 8, J. Kennedy (D.» 14|min) 9, N. Willocks (D., 16imin) 10. Time: 2:3:16. Fastest time: F. M. Schaapveld (H., scr), 1:47.31, 1 and fastest junior; T. Hartill (T., sen, 1:47:31.2. 2; K. Thomson (D.. scr), 1:47.33, 3. Town Hall criteriums—A grade 25km.—Schaapveld, 17, 1; K. F. C. Radburnd (H.) and Hartill, both 16, equal 2; G. Scott (Tu) and K. Thomson, both 4, equal 4. Time: 29:6.5. B grade Bkm.—B. Harris (D.), 116, 1; B. Hoskin (Tu), 14, 2; B. Roulston (T.), 6. 3. Time: 10:1.4