Incentive for top cyclists

Press, 24 September 1983, Page 26

Incentive for top cyclists

Next week-end’s national road cycling championships at Kiwitahi in the Waikato are likely to provide the incentive for some top racing in the Ashburton to Christchurch scratch race tommorrow.

Most of the Canterbury team are among the 59 starters for the Hornby club-sponsored race, to be run in three grades. Malcolm Robertson (Hornby) won last year’s race on appeal, as a junior, but will be hard pressed to repeat victory tommorrow. Greg Cox, one of the 10 in the team, is fresh from his win in the local championships at Waikari a week ago and looks the one to beat. He is almost certain to improve on his seventh placing from last year. His team-mate, Brian Fowler, will no doubt have other ideas and is also riding the crest of the wave, having competed in Switzerland recently and finished second behind Cox a week ago.

Greg Fraine, Blair Stockwell, Murray Steele, Craig Adair, Toni Home and Peter Coates, all of whom have returned from racing

overseas of late, add class to the field. Coates could well spring the surprise of the race, provided he has recovered sufficiently from the heavy fall he took when well placed in the local championships. Another in with a sound chance is the Healing Papanui rider, Mark Nichols, who made the Canterbury team with a third at Waikari behind Cox and Fowler. He should find conditions to suit while Willie Rastrick, from the same club, has ridden consistently all season and should not be discounted.

Dean Lovett (Healing Papanui) and Darryl Kircher (Hornby) both Canterbury junior team members, appear the top local hopes in the C grade, and will have Mark Burtenshaw, one of four Timaru entrants, to contend with.

Like last year, a massed start will be used from Ashburton Racecourse at 10 a.m. and the leading cyclist is expected at Yaldhurst at about 11.45. Much, of course, will depend on the weather, and with nor’westers forecast, anything could happen.