Another cycling win to Smith

Press, 29 August 1977, Page 17

Another cycling win to Smith

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RAY CAIRNS

Shane Smith continued his triumphant march —not without a f, fgat in the final stage—and < nlerbury cyclists their domina .ce of novice tours, at Green Isiund. Dunedin, on Saturday. Smith, the New Zealand champion. won the Royal Hotel fivestage, 93km tour, but in the end by only ssec after he had looked unbeatable. With only the lukm time trial to ride. Smith I eld an advantage of 21sec on t e Southland sprinter. Bleddyn Wills, and 3usec over his Canterbury rival, Maik Nichols. The '.ay he bad ridden the earlier stages Wills did not look a i nger and although Nichols I -s held an edge over Smith in I me trials this season, the halftn mute deficit looked too great. instead, the result of the tour was in doubt until the final kilotiirtre Nichols won the time t ial. as expected but only by ( ec from Wills; ne also beat i nith by 22sec with his 14min 2. sec. and that left Smith ssec e. .ar of Wills and another 3sec •nead of Nichols Steve 3urd>n the other prlnr > e—with Smith and Nichols—f the last s’age activity In last ks Manawatu 'our. was in t nth place 45sec down the I -e Canterbury riders being i in the most prominent n the hilly second stage—--1 » first stage, to Brighton and I ck. had been a procession—--1«e , 'ree Will’ and Warren •n’r.g and Craig Padman ,jlh Otago) broke the field

apart and finished comfortably i clear with the lazy Wills winning i the sprint and the even more I lazy Padman finishing third, be- • hind Smith and ahead of Nichols, i The same six broke away in the third stage to catch. Lyndon • Ryder the 13-year-old surprise of the tour, and John Healey > Ryder staying with I the older riders to the finish. : Wills punctured in that stage.! i but in accordance with the race > conditions, was given the bunch i time. That stage was won by Smith from Nichols and Bur- > don. Surprisingly, Ryder and Smith i had not finished. Ryder and Tony > Broome (Auckland) rode away > very early and stayed no more than half a minute in front un- . til Smith made a big effort in r the last 4km and caught them. ■ Ryder won the stage, and the ) lOsec advantage appeared to i have made victory easy for t Smith i i Th e time trial, however, was ■ almost his downfall, as it was • 'ast tear and Nichols’ effort all but e'evatcd him to first on general clarification. Burden’s third nlace 3sec faster than Smith. II clinched fourth place, and Rvder ' l '“ld on to sixth behind Pad- > man. ; Mthough not al! the top Canterburv novices competed, others from Christchurch filled useful I olae’ngs. Rrendon Bargot was a v-rv <—editah’“ seventh, Greg i sn e nberd was tenth. Kevin i *—-”th, an( j j o j, n II Hughes thirteenth.