Cycling Harbour race victory to Sean Cornelius

Press, 31 May 1982, Page 18

Cycling Harbour race victory to Sean Cornelius

By

RAY CAIRNS

A cycling career, which has just started, was quickly rewarded for Sean Cornelius on Saturday. Benefitting from the stiff tail breeze which bowled the front-markers along from Halswell to Motukarara. Cornelius won the D.B. Harbour race. Rather surprisingly, it was Cornelius who looked far from the strongest of the limit. 30min, mark on that flat stage of the race. His spare build was of rather greater use on the hills, and he finished 20s clear of a comarker, Andrew Nye. Nye could tell the hard luck story of the race, however, for he was’ cruising along .with the diminishing front bunch through Governors Bay when he dropped his chain.

That sometimes means a quick flick with the hand and hardly missing a beat. But Nye struck more problems than that — stopped and dismounted — and by the time he was back in action, a minute had elapsed. By then Cornelius had gone, and still held a 30s advantage climbing Evans Pass. That stretched out a shade on the descent, and although Nye was closing rapidly approaching the McCormacks Bay finish, he ran out of ground. Once again the scratch riders did not even have a glimpse of the front riders, finishing more

than 12V 2 min behind Cornelius, with Brian Fowler, leading out, holding off Blair Stockwell's strong challenge, and the even faster finish of Greg Fraine for fastest time. But catching the front was the least of the scratch riders’ problems, it was difficult enough to gain the tune prizes. The big, strong break bunch, led home by Paul Miller and two juniors, Glen Fuller and Craig Nichols, was always a big challenge for the time prizes’! and in the end was just 27s short. Although a middle-marker, Brent Cowie, was strongly favoured for line honours, he was 3min short in the end. the brisk tail wind in the early part preventing any bunch from catching any significant time on those in front. Indeed, the front-markers bowled comfortably along at 50km/h and th.at was all the start they needed before tackling the hills of Gebbies Pass and Lyttelton Harbour. The only rider to maintain contact with Cowie for most of the race. Geoff Searle, the youngest in the field, scored very handsomely in the prize list. As well as his fourth place prize, he also collected a full-training, programme from Wayne Rissman's weight-training gymnasium, indeed, all of the other 95 starters — all but 17 of them

finished — received one free attendance. But Searle does not know when he can benefit from the programme for he first has to have back surgery. Abbreviations used in the results are Papanui (P), Hornby (H). Woolston (W), General LeeSupertred (G). D.B. Harbour race, 57km.— S. Cornelius (P. 3i)min) 1. A. Nve (H. 30min) 2, B. Cowie (P. I6min) 3. G. M. Searle (P. Ittmin) 4, E. Penwell (W. 30min) 5. D. J. Kinzelt (H. 24min) 6, D. B. Lovett (P. 16min) 7, R. Lauder (P. 16inin) 8, E. Heppell (P. 16min) 9, B. Robertson (H. 18min) 10. Fastest time: B. A. Fowler (G, scr), 1:24:48, 1; G. J. Fraine (P. scr). 1:24:48.1, 2; B. G Stockwell (P, scr), 1:24:48.2. 3. Junior: G. E. Fuller (P. 4min), 1:25:15. 1; C. P. Nichols (P, 4min), 1:25:15.2. 2.