Chch cyclists on top

Press, 22 August 1977, Page 6

Chch cyclists on top

B.'

RAY CAIRN’S

I Christchurch schools’ ceding; had its finest week-end at'Levin; .and Palmerston North at the! ’; week-end. It aU started with Shirley Boys’ .'High School regaining the Sir ,1 Bernard Fergusson trophy in the ; 16km national school team time 1 trial championship. The depth of the sport in Can-j ■ terbury was reflected in Lin-' wood High School's fourth, a' mere 14 seconds off second I I place, and the eighth placing of j Christchurch Bovs’ High School.! ! But it was ail Shirley in 22min 144 sec, 32sec off its own record - Shirley won from Rotorua B.H.S. by irnin 17see. There was even greater Can- ! terbury domination yesterday in Palmerston North. In the Glaxo

four-stage tour of the Manawatu, with probably the finest field of colts ever seen in New Zealand, Shane Smith, the Shirlev captain, won by ssec from the Christchurch B.H.S. captain, Mark Nichols; the latter’s team-mate, Steven Burdon, was in third place.! 15sec further back. ; As if this was not enough.! 'Nick Purcell was fifth. He and the other Christchurch entries were split by David Dixon, the local representative. Peter Mc-i E-wen was sixth after only enter-' 11 ing the tour as a reserve, and Robert Koster was ninth. Though Dixon was dominant ■ early, all the Christchurch riders bided their time to a nicety. Smith and Purcell were fourth

■ and Hitli in the first stage, and ; the others comfortably in the ■ bunch. Then in the very tough 'second stage, they were all there ; again, only this time Smith won ;the stage. Purcell was second, McEwen fourth, and the others jin the bunch. The time trial really started sorting things out. Dixon won by ‘ four seconds from Nichols, and this second place elevated Nichols to fourth. I2sec down on Dixon. 7sec behind Smith and I a second behind Purcell. When Smith finally got clear in the last stage, with 10km to j go he had some assistance from McEwen Then, with McEwen feeling the pinch, Nichols and Burdon leapt up to Smith and the mini-time trial team set dow n to its work in earnest. Slowly and steadily they get

. clear, each returning a full effort, while Purcell was back , in the bunch on Dixon’s wheel , ensuring that he would do • nothing to close the gap That • steadily widened until Smith and • Nichols were sure of the first .land second places, and with the lead finally getting out to 33see. .) Burdon had third sewn up. I Nichols won the tired sprint from >1 Smith, and to add to the occlusion, Purcell was the easy winner of the bunch sprint. It al) added up to confidence I in Canterbury’s chances again at the national championships next t month, and the various efforts s of the Shirlev and Christchurch rlderv suggest Canterbuiv should i retain its t»am time trial title