Sports features Tough task in Tasmania

Press, 26 July 1980, Page 12

Sports features

Tough task in Tasmania

The withdrawal from the Olympic Games may have proved to be a type of blessing for road cycling in New Zealand. The absence of Moscow competition for- Vern Hanaray and Jack Swart has instead resulted in their both being available for the Tasmanian tour next month. So the field which has issembled in Auckland for the Air New Zealand Grand Prix today and tomorrow should produce easily the strongest team to represent New Zealand in the daunting four-day pro-am based on Launceston.

So often in the past — invariably, almost — the Australian expedition has coincided with a major international in the northern hemisphere, every other year, for example, the Olympic or Commonwealth Games. Still, that means that

Air New Zealand series creates the opportunity for young riders to make their first marks on international cycling. John Dean and Bryce Beeston. in the early days of the series, Toni Horne and Mark Nichols, recently, have worn their spurs in Tasmania.

And even with the much more severe company around this time, another young rider looks set for the big-time for the first time. Brian Fowler is in an almost identical posi-

By

RAY CAIRNS, in Auckland

for the Air

New ZEALAND GRAND PRIX

tion to Nichols last year and he is the one youthful contestant competing round the Whenuapai area with the likelihood of joining the old hands. Hanaray, Blair Stockwell—until his injury this week —and Swart are all. professing keen interest in winning selection for the first time, and they are the sort of road-men who would perform extremely well in Tasmania. An ability to climb hills is a prerequisite for this tour, and Hanaray, competing as an individual and not a New Zealand team member last year, has already shown his worth. Bad luck apart, it seemed unlikely that any of those three would truss selection, but Stockwell’s hand injury prevented him taking his place on the line So for the final three places — and alw"'-s remembering the first three on general ciassiucation win automatic selection — the national selectors will need to look for rather more youth. One is Fowler, and his obvious appeal, and another is Auckland’s Tony Songhurst, a team member last year. Then he seemed rather over-awed and illprepared for the assignment; if he has heeded well the lessons, and

adjusted will his thinking and preparation, Songhurst would be worth another look.

Apart from Clem Captein, the winner of the Waikato-Bay of Plenty rial, Canterbury appears to possess the other majo: contenders, and it has a strtng six-man team. There will undoubtedly be a lobby, which says Horne should not go, for, a veteran of the past two tours, he has not finished either. But a debilitating illness was the cause in

1978, a fearful crash — which wrecked his bike — was the eliminating factor last year. And Horne has shown himself a stage winner, a factor which should not go unnoticed. This tour may be a year too early for Peter McEwen, who has nonetheless made a significant advance this year. He is one who would surely derive enormous benefit from the month of activity in Australia, for the New Zealand team also has the one-day classics: the Launceston to Hobart, the Grafton to Inverell and the Sydney to Goulburn. Bruce Brunton and Paul Flattery are also due to break through, Brunton especially after looking at the door persistently in the last two years. But the range of competition may prove just that little bit too stiff this year for them and Russell Nant, the drawback for the latter being his failings on

the more severe hills. But from this tour, the New Zealand selectors (Messrs J. R. Broome and G. W. Sycamore, with the convener, Mr G. W. Sharrock, out of the country) have also to choose from two riders for the New Caledonian tour. That expedition calls for at least one old head and Nant, who rode it last

year, may be called on again, joined by someone of the calibre of Brunton, Captein or Flattery — or Stockwell, of course. A single, fine, stage performance can, of course, propel anyone into an automatic place for the Tasmanian team, but such a factor aside, the New Zealand team is likely to be Hanaray, Swart, Horne, Fowler and Songhurst.