Brave race by Bell nets cycling bronze

Press, 14 August 1978, Page 17

Brave race by Bell nets cycling bronze

NZPA Staff correspondent Edmonton

The New Zealand cyclist Gary Bell, overcame midrace sickness to ride the race of his life for the 1 bronze medal in the Games 183 km road race yesterday. Bell, the gold" medallist, Philip Anderson (Australia) and the second-placed Pierre Harvey (Canada) were out on their own away from the main bunch for nine of the 15 12.5 km circuits around the streets of Edmonton. Anderson had been the pre-race favourite since he won the Dulux six-day in New Zealand last year but not even New Zealanders were picking Bell to be among the places. As in Montreal, where Bell surprised by finishing fifteenth, Venn Hanaray was the New Zealander tipped as being the most likely to succeed? But Hanaray yesterday was back in the main bunch, working like a tiger at slowing down the other riders so his team-mate could maintain the break on the field which at times extended to 3min. Blair Stockwell (Christchurch) was in the break with Bell in the early stages but Harvey took a flier and split the break in two, dropping Stockwell and the man who started the break in the first place, the Scotsman, John Clark. The other New Zealander, Stephen Cox — w’ho crashed on lap two — was working with Hanaray and he rode to bring back another group of riders which was threatening to close the gap on the leaders. “It was a team effort,” Bell said. “It’s a pity they don’t award medals to the team.” Bell had two bad patches

during the race. He developed cramp in his left leg with only three circuits to go — and with the bunch chasing furiously — but he rode through it. Earlier, on the third lap, he ate a piece of fruit cake on the only descent of the course and tried to wash it down with fruit juice from his bidon (water bottle) but it would not wash.

“My mouth was full of food and I was having a bit of trouble breathing. Then I vomited and I thought I was finished. But it passed and fortunately no damage was done.”

The race began in about the first cold dawn that Edmonton has had since the Games began. The 49 starters shivered but the conditions were ideal for cycle road-racing — no wind and no sun.

It was obvious from the first lap that the pace was going to be fast and that the powerful Australians were going to dominate it. Remo Sansonetti, the Australian who finished third in Christchurch, began what could have been the first dangerous break and Cox and several British riders went with him, but he and Cox crashed and the break was over.

The bunch was still getting some order and rhythm into its riding when Clark began the break that from then on dictated the race. Anderson was after Clark in a flash and Bell and Stockwell were with him.

Cox was still nursing his injuries at the back of the bunch and Hanaray moved to the front to thwart any attempt at a chase — especially by the English riders, who were caught napping. The Christchurch silver medallist, Phill Griffiths,

tried several times to leave the bunch, but the Sansonetti brothers and Hanaray and Cox worked together to draw him back each time.

With four laps to go, Harvey made his lone bid for glory. He said later he did not expect to succeed, but at one stage he was 30s up on Bell and Anderson, and it was at this point the average 40km/h of the race caught up with Stockwell and he fell back.

A lap later, Bel! and Anderson got to Harvey and with the three of them 2min up, it was a dual question of whether they could maintain their lead and if they did, who would win the sprint to the line. At the bell, the trio was a minute up and it was clear that only a superhuman effort from the pack could close the gap. Just over quarter of an hour later, the trio reappeared. their lead intact. “I saw the finish in the distance but I had had it,” Bell said. “I thought I’d stick to Anderson’s wheel but he kept avoiding me. So I tried to sprint on the outside, with Harvey in the middle and Anderson on the inside.” j Anderson and Harvey both I crashed on that final lap, as the surface had become greasv after a little light rain. 'But they were down for only seconds and Bell had no "chance to go off on his own. Anderson — whose suspension for a technical offence against cycling’s tough doping rules ran out only two days ago — was timed at 4h22min 23.45. Harvey was one tenth behind that and Bell clocked in at 4h 22min 355.

Cox finished eighteenth, Harvey twentieth and Stockwell thirtieth.