Four Olympic cyclists sought

Press, 2 October 1979, Page 34

Four Olympic cyclists sought

By

RAY CAIRNS

There is no guarantee that the maximum allowable four road cyclists will be nominated for the Moscow OlymIpic Games after today’s 196 km trial on the Waotu course near Tokoroa. The convener of the national selection panel, Mr Gordon Sharrock. of Wanganui, made it clear yesterday that “we don't have to name four — we don’t want to nominate anyone who will be left behind when the Olympic selectors deliberate.” ,

But Mr Sharrock made it equally clear that he would like four nominated. The trial, seven laps of a 27km course to the southwest of Tokoroa, partly on th? Old Taupo Road, has bean reverted to after the Wiltsdown course was ruled out because of road works. There is a field of 30. Mr Sharrock barely concealed. that his panel was still looking to the old hands: “We would like to | think that our top international riders are still the I best, the national champion-

ship on Saturday confirmed what we knew of them.” Two who must be sure of nomination are Jack Swart, whose championship victory confirmed he is regaining last season’s form, and Vern Hanaray, whose championship ride, irrespective of the result, made it clear he was not far away from the Hanaray of old. The greatest imponderable of the established men — Blair Stockwell, Gary Bell and Steve Cox — is the negative Bell. He is an athlete of quite astonishing physical ability, and an attitude that negates totally that vast advantage. The position of Toni Horne, one of the Canterbury contingent., is clouded by the oft-expressed view that he too often shows a lack of aggression, but he frequently counters that with a performance too hard to ignore.

The way is open for a fresh face, and no-one is seriously questioning that Mark Nichols’s is the most likely to be there at the finish. The time is certainly ripe for some young challengers.