Swiss cyclist holds slender lead

Press, 22 October 1983, Page 64

Swiss cyclist holds slender lead

By

JANE DAVIDSON

The Swiss cyclist, Andreas Gsell, leads the Healing Tour of the South by 23 seconds from Stephen Cox (Waikato) after seven stages but it is by no means certain he has the event sewn up.

With two stages, totalling 145 km, to be raced today, seven riders are within a minute and a half of Gsell, and, as part of the route is over hills, anything could happen. Gsell, Imin 25s down on Thursday to the leader, Kerry Holland, hit the lead during yesterday’s first stage from Hanmer to Waipara. Without riding in spectacular fashion, he raced consistently enough to maintain his edge over the field by the end of the day. As expected, Jack Swart began yesterday’s racing seemingly more determined than he had been on Thursday. He and Cox battled for supremacy on the hills. They were part of an eightman group, including Gsell and the Canterbury trio of Blair Stockwell, Toni Horne and Brian Fowler, which broke from the bunch almost as the gun went off in Hanmer. With a strong nor’westerly wind blowing across or behind them, the break bunch proved increasingly more difficult to catch. By Hurunui the difference between the two groups was a minute and a half; by Scargill it was two minutes and.a half. But the real pace was yet to come, as the gap widened to almost five minutes at Omihi Saddle and ended as an astonishing seven minutes when the stage finished at Waiau. Cox crossed the line first,

with Swart next and Wayne Perkinson (Auckland) third. Brian Fowler was the best Cantabrian, coming in fourth, followed by Graeme Miller (Auckland), Stockwell, Horne and Gsell. The Australian, Carey Hall, consolidated his lead in the sprint championship during the sixth stage, Waipara to Rangiora. He beat Miller and Cox for one sprint, and finished second to Del Woodford (Dunedin) in the other, while Swart showed his ability over the hills, winning his fifth climb for the day. The fickle winds and warm temperatures added to the test. At times the bunch was travelling at speeds in excess of 70km/h, but on the second leg of the Sefton block it was reduced to about a third of that speed. Yesterday’s final stage proved a triumph for the Ashburton professional, Simon Mac Donnell. He won the 28km criterium at Rangiora by three points from Benny Vandergriend (Auckland) and Michael Griffiths. Mac Donnell’s win was in fact more commanding than the points would suggest — by the sixteenth of 20 laps, he was ahead by seven points and had only to stay in second to win. Today, the course takes riders around the Ferrymead block 10 times (85km total) and over Banks Peninsula (Sumner, Evans Pass, Lyttelton, Governors Bay, Teddington, Gebbies Pass,

Motukarara, Tai Tapu), ending at Halswell at about 2 p.m.

Results.—Stage 5, Hanmer Springs to Waipara (112 km S. Cox (Waikato), 2hrs 23min 50s, 1; J. Swart (Waikato) 2, W. Perkinson (Auckland) 3, B. Fowler (Canterbury) 4, G. Miller (Auckland) 5.

Stage 6, Waipara to Rangiora (45km): Perkinson, Ihr Imin 12s, 1; Stockwell 2, Cox 3, Miller 4. W. McLellan (Invercargill) 5. Stage 7, Rangiora Criterium (28km): S. Mac Donnell (Ashburton) 78 points, 1; B. Vandergriend (Auckland) 75, 2; M. Griffith (Auckland) 26, 3; Fowler, 26, 4 (Griffiths third because of higher placing in final lap); G. Tyrell (Waikato), 25, 5.

General classification (after 7 stages): A. Gsell (Switzerland) 9hrs smin 50s, 1; S. Cox (Waikato) 23s down on leader, 2; G. Miller (Auckland) 425, 3; B. Stockwell, (Canterbury) and J. Swart (Waikato) Imin Is, equal 4; T. Home (Canterbury) Imin 6s, 6; B. Fowler (Canterbury) Imin 17s, 7; W. Perkinson (Auckland) 2min 295, 8; B. Vandergriend (Auckland) 6min 365, 9; D. Woodford (Dunedin) 7min 21s, 10.

Sprint ace (after 12 sprints): C. Hall (Australia), 9 points; W. Rastrick (Canterbury) 7, W. Perkinson (Auckland) 5. King of the Mountains (after 12 hills): J. Swart 36 points, 1; W. McLellan (Invercargill) and K. Holland (Auckland) 30, equal 2; F. Meiser and W. Felix (Switzerland) 19, equal 4.