Cycling team leaves for world titles

Press, 18 June 1982, Page 24

Cycling team leaves for world titles

PA Wellington New . Zealand's . team leaves for the world junior cycling championships this week-end with next year’s world championships at Wanganui firmly in mind. The . team’s managercoach, Neil Lyster of Wellington said this year's trip to Italy will give vital experience to three members of the team who will still be eligible when this country acts as host next year. Stephen Swart (Waikato), Alan Miller (Blenheim), and Barry Pryor (Levin) will gain valuable experience from this year's championships in and around Florence which .will stand them in good stead for the future, he said. "This trip will give them valuable international competition and the whole team is very capable and should hold its- own in Italy," Mr Lyster said. The rest of the

team is Gerard Golder (Auckland). Gary Johnson (Wellington), and Del Woodford (Dunedin). The six have spent the last seven weeks living and training in Auckland under the team's assistant manager, Jack Broom, who is a national selector. Mr Lyster has spent several week-ends with the team and has been impressed with its progress. Miller and Pryor are just out of schoolboy ranks and will be racing at junior level for the first time when they get to. Italy. The championships consist of sprint, kilo, 3000 metres pursuit, and team pursuit on the track plus a 70 kilometre time trial and a 126-kilometre road race.

The championships start on July 18 and until then the New Zealanders will compete in a number of warm-up events including a three-day tour of the Milan area.