Staying power vital factor

Press, 4 March 1978, Page 12

Staying power vital factor

The 100 km madison championship has, after the shaky beginnings of nine years ago, become an established feature of the New Zealand cycling season. From the event formerly fitted in where and when convenient, it is now regularly the closing event of the national hard track championships. The rise in standing of the two-man teams’ event is reflected in the field for tomorrow’s championship at Denton Park. There are 11 teams entered — which would have been more, but for restrictions on any one centre, for the four strongest centres have all named reserve teams. Of those 11, at least six couid be consider’d strong contenders for the title: Michael Richards and Wayne Perkinson (Auckland); the two Waikato teams. Jack Swart and Kevin Blackwell, and Eric McKenzie and Steve Cox; Michael Fabish and Glen Demchy (West CoastNorth Island); and the Canterbury pairings. Blair Stockwell and Ray Knight, and Paul Jesson and Kim Reid. The other five entires — another one each from Auckland and W.C.N.1.,

from Wellington, and two junior teams from Otago — are all capable squads without appearing likely to threaten the other halfdozen, for the most part consisting of internationals.

But it is a strange event, one in which team tactics play an over-riding part, and there are often sacrificial efforts by one team from a particular centre on behalf of its fellows.

Sometimes, too, the better teams spend the greatest par* of the 100 km — or 2lhr or so —worrying about each other, and this was the case last year. So. with 20km to ride, two li*tle-fancied juniors, Toni Horne and Ron Richdale, of Canterbury, were able to steal away and take a winning lap on the field.

In most cases, the teams mentioned have a happy blend of strength and sprinting ability, particularly so in the cases of the Stockwell-Knight, Demchy-Fabish and CoxMcKenzie teams. But stay* ing power is the most important factor, and a team such as that of Swart and Blackwell must be strongly fancied.