Tackling the harbour hills

Press, 6 June 1981, Page 16

Tackling the harbour hills

For the first time in its long and colourful history, the DB Harbour race todaywill include a rider wearing a saddlecloth with the number 100 on it. Such has been the astonishing growth in racing cyclists this season in Canterbury, al! codes, all grades, that the annual race round the Lyttelton Harbour road, from Halswell through Gebbies Pass and Evans Pass to Redcliffs, has attracted a record field. And while this race usually produces handicaps which, at first glance, include a rider or two clearly well treated and likely to feature in the line honours, this is far from the case this year.

The gap between scratch and break has been extended to 4min, a realistic move for often, the best of scratch riders have all but caught the break mark by the ascent of Gebbies Pass. Then there is another reasonable gap of 3min to second break, a further 3min to the lOmin bunch, before the middle marks are all within 2min of each. The limit is 30min, the virtual limit 24min, and the portents are there for a considerable bunch to be together at the finish round the “back” of MacCormacks Bay. But Evans Pass, even if the climb from Lyttelton towards Sumner is the “easier” ascent, still plays a major controlling part in such speculation. Bunches

rarely stay, together, if indeed they are intact at that stage, and the descent can split them up just as rapidly. If someone is triumph from the front marks, then the likes of Graeme McLeod, Les Fibbins and Roger Prince must hold some hopes. Around the middle, Malcolm Robertson looks a shade well treated with his 14min, and Lewis Benschop and Peter Deller appeal on 16min. Further back, Craig Nichols, Greg Tump and Paul Clare have lOmin, a mark they share with Michael Hazeldine and Gary Radburnd, among others, and they must like their chances, too. And the scratch mark is resplendent with Oceania Games riders: Brian Fowler, Blair Stockwell, Graeme Miller (of Blenheim) and Paul Flattery are joined by Toni Horne, Chris Hogan and Greg Fraine. Recent history points to Fowler and Fraine being the major protagonists for fastest time: juniors (Fowler last year, Mark Nichols before him) have won that honour in recent years, just as a junior, Nicholas Wolsey, was last year’s winner. But Stockwell and Horne, past winners of the honour,

will probably have something to say and do about that. Because of the appeal of the Canterbury v Scotland , rugby match, the race will now start at 11.30 a.m. and should finish about 1.15 p.m.! Also today. Bevan Gyde • will attempt to put behind' him the run of near-misses on the West Coast last weekend, and retain the Mike Jameson Memorial Cup, at stake in the professional ranks’ 53km race at West Melton sponsored by Pete'sButchery. But perhaps rather more interest will devolve on the second 80km race of the Wilson Neill series, at Sefton.' John Cleary took an important early lead in the rich eight-race programme twoweeks ago, but he was • pushed down the placings somewhat on the Coast. Another victory would make him very difficult to peg back — a factor of which Terry Gyde, Russell Nant,' Steve Doherty and the rest will be fully aware — and it should be an intriguing race. 1 RAY CAIRNS'