Tour is N.Z. farewell for Games cyclists

Press, 8 September 1982, Page 32

Tour is N.Z. farewell for Games cyclists

RAY CAIRNS

Though it does not contain quite the same drama as a double crossing of the Southern Alps, the Healing Tour of the South which starts this evening with a prologue time trial has one important and appealing aspect. It will feature the final New Zealand appearances of the New Zealand Commonwealth Games road cycling team which is more heavily favoured than any other before it to return from Brisbane with a haul of medals. There is, clearly, a tremendous spirit among,, the four members of the 100 km time trial team: Blair' Stockwell, Jack Swart, Steve Cox and Steve Carton. Equally, though, they are four very determined men, and while it is quite conceivable that their team-work will spill over into this race, it is also very predicable that each will be wishing an individual victory. They all have their individual strengths and few weaknesses, but on this particular course, not nearly as demanding as that of last year, they have as one particularly strong rival the fifth man for Brisbane, Roger Sumich. One member of the whole squad will not get to ride the road race at Brisbane and Sumich is as aware as anyone that some are suggesting he could miss out altogether. That would be a mistake, for Sumich has shown on count-, less occasions in the past that he is a winner, not day in, day out, but very difficult to beat when on his best behaviour.

So he will be looking for

some creditable stages in this tour, and he arrives with a solid background of preparation: fourth placing in the Tasmanian tour less than a fortnight ago. An official New Zealand team also contested that tour, and three of its members are in the field: Roger Nevatt, of Palmerston North, and the Canterbury riders, Greg Fraine and Paul Miller. Fraine had a most unhappy series of misfortunes in Australia and this is the opportunity for a very fine tour rider to re-establish himself in the top echelon. The field is enhanced by the addition of professionals, and six of them are in the A grade. They are the Dunedin trio of Wayne Hillary, Brian Thomson and Paul Hoskin, and a like number from Christchurch in Terry Gyde, Steve Doherty and John. Cleary. The latter three have had . some keen sprinting tussles all this season and last, and they will bring some added flavour to the finishes. But not as much as that sure to come from Rillary,. who while he might not be often really tested against the best of all New Zealand’s cyclists, is surely a sprinter to rate with any of them. So, in some of the stages of this tour, will be William Rastrick. who had a more commanding finish in the Air

New Zealand Grand Prix final, for example, than anyone else.

The A grade field is completed by Brent Kircher, the fastest time winner of the Timaru to Christchurch this year, and two juniors, Paul Clare and Peter Coates. The latter was the B grade winner of the Queenstown tour much earlier this season, while Clare, after his good week-end of high placings in the Timaru and Gorges classics, had sound preparation in the Healing national junior tour last week-end.

While they might be accorded B grade status so far as the general classification is concerned, many of the remainder of the field are capable of high over-all placings. Blair Cox, from Taranaki, is one, and he is a full New Zealand representative of the past, as is Jim Ryder. But Cox will be kept well up to his work by Tony Salole, Greg Hume and Tony Fuller, from Canterbury; Wayne McLellan, of Southland; Waikato’s Tony Mortimore; and Nathan Dahlberg, of Palmerston North.

The latter is only 16, but as he showed last week-end, he has an aggressive spirit and sound climbing and sprinting skills. One of the surprises of that tour, from a Canterbury

viewpoint, was Rick Lauder, a first-year rider and a junior still, who was with the main bunch for all but the shattering second stage, and in that even, he finished with such experienced riders as Glen Fuller and Michael Leahy. Two others who will benefit from the experience in this race are Michael McLister and Stuart Challenger, the latter another professional, along with Brent Stanaway, who has a willing approach in the flatter stages, and Simon McDonnell, who has been picking up fastest time recently in Timaru races. Graham Howie, of Southland, and Greg Wilson, from Timaru, complete the field, the size of which — 35 — is perhaps a little disappointing. But there are good pickings there again, with Hoon Hay Cycles and Laurie Dawe Cycles sponsoring the sprint ace and “king of the mountains” sections respectively. The tour starts late this afternoon with the Bower Tavern time trial, from that

establishment to Kerrs Reach, and the massed start stages start in Marshland Road at 9 a.m. tomorrow with The (Timaru) Cyclery stage to Amberley. In what is effectively a reverse. of last year's final day’s racing, the Blair Stockwell Cycles and the Hanmer Lodge stages then take the field to Waiau, through the Leader Valley, and Hanmer. The two stages on Friday return the field from Hanmer to Rangiora, though not the shortest and most direct way. The Waipara Hotel stage, which finishes in that village, passes through Culverden, then diverts to Hawarden, before returning to Waikari, Scargill and Greta Valley. The afternoon stage finishes in the west Rangiora shopping area, but to get there, leaves the main road at Amberley, and takes in Sefton, Loburn, the gorges and Summerhill, and Cust. Saturday, the final day, has two quite differentstages. First, there is the flat course from Hornby to Dunsandel, then east through Springston, Lincoln and Tai Tapu, to Halswell. Then it is off round thebays, including Gebbies and Evans passes, before finishing by the Gainsborough Service Station, the stage sponsor, in Linwood Avenue.