Cycling bunch too big

Press, 11 May 1981, Page 3

Cycling bunch too big

By.

RAY CAIRNS

The dangers of overloading, a scratch bunch were underlined in the first open novice cycling races of the season, the Ron Rutherford Motors A-gra3e and-B-grade races of 27km arid 11.4 km respectively: Nine-strong at the beginning of. the A-grade event, the scratch bunch still had seven-in it at the finish but it was 9s in arrears of fastest time, which was won handsomely by Geoff Searle from his only fellow-survivor of the break bunch, Kerry Kampjes, Their group had six at the start and weight of numbers suggested that their quest for. fastest time would be difficult. But they applied themselves from the beginning and fad by 10s after the first of thf four laps. At the half-

way mark, the-' break men had increased-that advantage to 15s but by the bell, with only Searle and Kampjes left, it was a mere ss. The scratch riders lost Dean Lovett soon after this point — he had left his sprint on the road in "winning”, the race after three laps — and so Searle, and Kampjes slipped that little bit,.clear, A solid performance from a near-front marker, Andrew Mcßeth, gave him a comfortable win, nearly -lmin clear of Stephen Tutty, Glen Steel, and Tony Harris, with Searle and Kampjes. hard on their heels. . ,%4 A front-marker, Murray Amtman, also had a comfortable win in the B-grade, with the. outstanding fide, coming from Jon Andrews.! Riding from the second break mark,. Andrews left his et&rharkers

and caught and passed all but Amtman in winning fastest time from a scratch-man, Alan Girvan, who was 6s back. One of Andrews’ comarkers, Peter Searle, was a further 5s back. Abbreviations used in the results are: Mairehau (M). Hornby W.M.C. (H), Rangiora (R), and Woolston W.M.C. (W). A grade. 27km: A, Mcßeth (M, 9min). 50:31, Il'S. Tutty (H. 9min'), 2; G. Steel (M, 6.5min),’3; A’. Harris, (M. 10mm). 4; G. Searle (M, I 25min), 44 08. 5 and fastest time; K. Kampjes (M, 1.25 mm), 44:03.1, 6 and second-fastest time: D. Sutton (H, 4min), 7; D, Kinzett (H, 4min>. 8; A. (Thomas- (H, 4min), 9; D. Needhanf (M. 7.75mim. 10. B grade.'ll.4km M. Amtman (W, 4minj, 22:44, 1;. T.’ Andrews (M, . . 2min), 21:12, 2 and fastest time; P,. Searle (M, 2min), 21:23, 3 and third- > fastest time; R. Butters (H, smin>,' 4; H. Brettscheider (R, smin). 5; N. Tutty. (H, 3mtn), 6; J. O Brien (M,--Imiri), 7; I. Robertson (M, sjnini, 8: A. Webster (H. smin/, 9: A. Girvan ; (M. scr).' 2LIB, 10 .and secondfastest time. - • "