N.Z. riders should dominate Dulux

Press, 29 October 1977, Page 60

N.Z. riders should dominate Dulux

By RAY CAIRNS Even with the unexpected, last-minute withdrawal of Vern Hanaray, and the massive Australian attack on the Dulux six-day cycling race, the country’s leading tour seems sure to remain the preserve of New Zealanders. Hanaray, the national champion and twice winner of the tour, pulled out yesterday, still troubled by a leg injury suffered in the Family Tavern Tour last week-end. But coinciding with his absence from the tour which starts at Auckland tomorrow is an entry of 16 Australians — in a field of 41 — who do not appear to have the over-all strength of other recent Australian entries.

Certainly three of them are from the famed Sansonetti family — Sal, Maurice and Arch — but do not have the company of their elder and better brother, Remo. The latter was the bronze medal winner at the Christ-

church Commonwealth Games; his absence thus suggests that there is not the same concerted effort to win by Australia as there was last year, when Mai Powell — himself a past run ner-up — brought over a strong team, which carried away the teams prizes. The best of Australia’s individuals then was Wayne Hammond, fourth, as he had been the previous year, too, but he is not in the field this year. The Sansonetti family apart, the best of the Australians appear to be Alan Goodrope and Jim Phillipson, but they do not appeal as do the most experienced of the New Zealanders: Blair Stockwell, Gary Bell and Paul Jesson, all of them past winners.

One feature of the tour which will not help Jesson retain his six-day title is the removal of the 23km time trial on the penultimate day, often maligned for having too great a bearing on the

race, but surely an essential facet of a major tour such as this. But Stockwell, when he won by a record margin in 1972, showed that the ride against the clock is not necessarily that crucial; on that occasion, he simply rode away with Derek Brown, on the trip from Otorohanga to New Plymouth, and left the field a quarter-hour in the distance.

Picking a winner this year is a hazardous exercise, such is the even nature of the leading contenders: the three remaining Games nominees — Stockwell, Bell and Steve Cox — Jesson and Roger Sumich. Jesson, clearly, would like to make it two in a row — and two in a row this year, for he won the Family Tavern Tour last week-end — not least to cock a snook at the selectors who left him out of their Games nominations. Certainly, Jesson is of the right quality to win the tour, but his major oppo-

nents, Stockwell and Bell, are among the most travelled and most experienced road cyclists New Zealand has seen. All told, five former winners are riding the tour and while the other two command some interest, they a r e unlikely to be major threats. Brent Pascoe won in 1970, his golden year, when he had a useful Waikato team riding for him, and in an interrupted career since that time, has made little impact on New Zealand cycling. Dick Johnstone won the first tour, in 1960, and retired when he missed nomination for the Kingston Commonwealth Games in 1966. His essay at the tour this year commands considerable nostalgia, but surely little fear on the part of those riders as much as 20 years younger than Johnstone. There is a strong entry from Canterbury, even discounting Stockwell and Jesson.

Though Dave Hewson — troubled by a back injury — and John Mullan have with-

drawn, the Canterbury “team” still has depth, with Bryan Stenning, Jim Ryder, Chris Hogan and Dick Thomson. Its strongest opposition for the teams’ award will come from that consisting of Cox, Bell, Trevor Foley (surprisingly, in the B section), Stuart Brown, Robin Stockwell and Trevor Rice.

The Bkm time trial on the Auckland waterfront tomorrow will establish the man to wear the yellow jersey out of the city on Monday, on the stage to Tauranga. Tuesday’s two stages are to Tokoroa, then on to Rotorua, and there are also two stages on Wednesday: to Morrinsville, then Otorohanga. The longest stage is that on Thursday, to New Plymouth; and on the penultimate day, there are a further two stages, to Wanga= nui, then on to Palmerston North. The Saturday stage is that traditionally used, from Palmerston North to Wellington, over the crucial Paekakariki and Glenside hills.