Strong field for mini-tour

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 24

Strong field for mini-tour

By

RAY CAIRNS

Though the field of 28, the smallest for several years, might reflect a lessened depth in Canterbury boys’ cycling, the Healing mini-tour tomorrow should be one of the most competitive in the 14 year history of the event. The ■ premier South Island event in boys’ cycling, the tour has, perhaps for the first time, attracted top-quality entrants with die right credentials for over-all victo-

ry from each of four centres of the sport. The only pity’ is that Mara Taylor, the Nelson winner last year anl thus the first rider with a chance of winning twice, has not entered. Undoubtedly the most interest will focus on Del Woodford, of Dunedin, and Blenheim’s Alan Miller, two of the threeman New Zealand 16-years-old team to race in Tasmania late next month. Their form and ability are far from unknown in Canterbury; Woodford won the Canterbury track madison title with Craig Nichols last season, while Miller already has a tour victory — the Rangiora stage race — to his credit this season. Outstanding as both hill climbers and time trialists. these two will enjoy very warm favouritism, but neither should be overly confident. For example, in Murray Hewitt, Grant Pine, Stephen Harcourt and Grant Bewley, Southland is represented by its strongest all-round group, and while Hewitt might normally have been regarded as the one with the strongest claims and the most feared sprinting ability, he is not having things entirely his way in the deep south. With lan Cooper away, and even before that, the Canterbury challenge does not have the depth of usual. Indeed, there are probably - only four who can be counted as real chances: Nichols, Michael Hazeldine, Malcolm Robertson and Ivan Stanicich. Nichols and- Stanicicß

both raced the Manawatu tour last Sunday, with contrasting results and performances. Not too well at the beginning and thus riding, for him, a verv average time trial, Nichols was not able to retrieve that deficit. Not for lack of trying, however. for he was in solo or two-man breaks in every stage, climbed outstandingly and sprinted just as well. That sort of form was revealed again on Monday in the Morrison schoolbovs’ championship. Stanicich had a very’ sound time trial, but weakened as the tour progressed and failed to finish

the final stage. He will be on more familiar territory tomorrow. The tour follows the now-established course, starring in Rangiora and stage one finishing in Oxford, after going through Summerhill. The second stage is the gorges course, to, Ashley; it is followed by the time trial, and' the final stage is 30km of the Sefton block.