Purcell wins 108km cycling event

Press, 1 August 1977, Page 3

Purcell wins 108km cycling event

Bv

RAY CAIRNS

His acknowledged speed as a sprinter and unexpected time-trialling ability gave Nick Purcell victory in the eleventh Go-Cola mini-tour yesterday.

Purcells victory by 23s from Robert Koster, with the national champion and favourite, Shane Smith, another second back, was one of the most convincing in the event, which is ranked las New Zealand’s top event I for novice cyclists. Purcell was confident at 'all times, from the first stage, when he was awarded first place, dubiously, ahead of Smith, until he led in the bunch at the conclusion of the testing final stage. That was won by the much improved Koster, who slipped away in the final 1500 m to beat the bunch by ss. It elevated him to second, an unexpected but deserved result.

Well as he sprinted, with stage placings of first, third, and second, it was the time trial in which Purcell underlined his superiority. He has no reputation or performances as a time trialler but, in the 3.5 km ride from Loburn to Ashley, Purcell beat the fancied Smith by 5s and went within 2s of the record. This was one of the most testing days for the tour, although such was the quality and evenness of the field that less than 2min covered the first 21 and under 4min was between 26 of the 27 to finish. It rained almost con-

stantly from the time the tour started in Rangiora, with heavy falls in the second stage from Oxford to Loburn.

As is often the case, there was little real activity in the stage but, predictably, the Ashlev and Glentui gorges split the field. Dropped in the first wave was the top Palmerston North rider, David Dixon. After the Glentui gorge, the leading bunch was down to 11. But the momentum was not maintained. Dixon and the others regained contact and Dixon won the gallop to the line.

Tha* reduced Purcell’s lead] to 5s ahead of Dixon and Murray Steele but his outstanding time trial left Purcell enjoying a 14s lead over ■Smith. Even at that stage, 'though, less than a minute | covered the first 21 and Koster’s break demonstrated just how open the race still was. Smith made no race of the “King of the Mountains” title, winning three of the [climbs and being well placed I in most of the others. Second, eight points behind, was Mark Nichols, one of the most favoured for the tour. But when lying sixth I equal, and with the tour into the last of its 108 km, Nichols had a temporary black-out and finished just behind the bunch. Steele’s consistent sprinting gave him fourth place. He would probably have taken second had he not

been late for the time-trial start.

Dixon, like Nichols, suffered in the final stage. He could not quite finish with the bunch and that cost him a definite fourth place on general classification, if not better.

Peter McEwen and Stuart Hunter, another Palmerston North rider, had consistent races without ever shining. One of the best efforts was by Vaughan Harvey, who sprinted particularly well and rode a solid time trial. In the final stage, Greg Shepherd rode probably the best race of his career and beat many more . fancied riders.

Abbreviations in the results are: Christchurch (C), Palineiston North (P.N.), and Invercar.igill (I.h ■ Stage one. Rangiora-Oxford I (3Uknn.—Purcell tC.) 1, Smith l (C.j 2, Steele <C.) 3, Harvey (Cj 1 4, C. Miller (C.) 5, Nichols (C.) 6. Time: 1:8:27. Stage two, Oxford-Lobuin (39kmi.—Dixon (P.N.) 1, Steele 2. Purcell 3. B. Wills (I.) 4, Smith 5. Time: 1:1:02. Stage three, Loburn-Ashley (3.5 km time trial).—Purcell, 4:46.5. 1; Smith, 4:51.5, 2: Dixon. 4:57. 3; Koster (C.)» 4:59.5. 4; Nichols and Hunter iP.Nj, 5:03, • equal 5. Stage lour, Loburn-Sefton block i2Bkm). —Koster 1. Purcell 2, Wills 3, Steele 4. Shepherd (C.) 5, Smith 6. Time: 49:30. King of the Mountains.—Smith, 21, 1; Nichols. 13. 2; A. P. Fuller, 12. 3; Purcell. 10, 4. General classification.—Purcell 3:3:35.5, 1; Koster, at 23sec, 2; Smith, at 24sec, 3; Steele, at 33.55ec. 4; Dixon, at 42.55ec, 5; McEwen, at 46.55ec, 6; Hunter, at , 46.55ec, 7; Harvey, at 48.5 sec, 8; M. Cuminack (C.)» at 52.55ec. 9; J. Carroll (C.), at 53sec, 10.