Threadbare look to amateur cycling race

Press, 6 September 1980, Page 60

Threadbare look to amateur cycling race

Although the international track rider, Graeme Miller, of Blenheim, is likely to be accepted as a late entrant, the scratch mark for today’s Timaru to Christchurch amateur cycling classic wears p threadbare look.

Three regular members of the bunch are. overseas — Brian Fowler and Bruce Brunton, at the end of their Australian tour with the New Zealand team, and Blair Stockwell, who is also riding in Australia for a couple of weeks. Nor is Paul Flattery

expected to ride, although he has entered. So there are some on the back mark who would normally struggle to win the honour; but there is pleasure in the worth of John Hughes being finally recognised. Accordingly, the ' break mark of 9min is not overly strong, except for the wellperformed Chris Hogan and Mark Nichols making returns to the sport, Hogan after a “retirement" and Nichols after .an injury-en-forced break.

There are the usual hardluck and good-luck stories out on the marks, in the 72strong field. Graham Schist, with no form in his first open season, is back on the 38min mark, two behind limit, and the bunch also includes Tony Salole and Hugh Walton, both of them with second platings in classics already this season, while Gary Miln, even with his indifferent form, is a shade lucky to have slipped out to 49 min. I