Glen Fuller finally breaks through

Press, 11 June 1982, Page 24

Glen Fuller finally breaks through

By

RAY CAIRNS

Probably for longer than he cared. Glen Fuller played the bridesmaid in the cycling races he tackled. With the exception of the boys' team lime trial gold medal at Auckland in 1979. Fuller’s lot was one of minor placings. That was all put to rights most handsomely when the compact 18-year-old produced a blend ol breakaway and sprinting powers hitherto not displayed to win handsomely the Queenstown proam tour. The wav Fuller won the tour was hardly planned, ' ll was my first tour, really, and 1 was just out to ride it. and to finish. I. didn't plan to win it. but when Warren Meggitt took off in the first stage. I went with him and no-one chased. "They didn’t worry about me, I suppose, and then there were the other guys blocking for me. A strain holding the yellow jersey? No. that didn't worry me; I felt good about it. and I felt good. The only bit of a panic was when my gears jammed." Fuller was unstinting — and so he might be - in paying tribute to the other Canterbury riders who made their first considerations looking after the junior when he was in a winning position. "In the last three stages, if it

wasn't for them ... well. I don't know what would have happened." Many cyclists have their sporting. lives, or dreams, mapped out well in advance, but Fuller is content to let each season look after itself — with his help, of course. "I'd like to make a New Zealand team at some stage." arid to that. end. he is first looking at the Air New Zealand Grand Prix next month: ‘Tve shown, most to myself, that 1 can ride a two-day tour. at least.” Otherwise, his major target this season is the Healing national championship: last year, he was fifth, after finishing only third in the Canterbury title race. Fuller was disappointed with his ride, which only lasted a stage, in the last year's Healing-3ZM "tour of the south." "The lack of races for the last couple of weeks didn't help." so he would like to do better in the shorter. < and less difficult tour this year. .. Glen Fuller certainly does not look anv older than his 18 years, a little younger if any-.

thing, and it comes as a surprise to sit down and work out that he is in his eighth season of cycling. His father. Phil, rode extensively - he is now the Papanui club's president after many years of various official duties - and the lately-successful son recalls that' father "started Tony first, and I was keen to get going too. even if 1 was only about 10." Nor does he think it was too young, because he is at his most enthusiastic this season. "24 hours commitment every day." says his father feelingly, and his level of performance had risen in the'last couple of years since Toni Horne has taken charge of his preparation. Glen Fuller has a tidy heap of bronze medals, one of the best of them secured in the South Island open championship last season, two in successive Canterbury junior championships. The day after his nineteenth birthday, he would clearly like to exchange those for a gold medal in the centre championship: but the national title is the greater target.