Fowler heads record entry

Press, 2 June 1984, Page 16

Fowler heads record entry

A record entry of 65, headed by the Olympic road rider, Brian Fowler, has been received for the twelfth cycling tour of Queenstown, which starts in Invercargill today. For the Canterbury contingent at least, the multistage tour will provide by far the toughest challenge of any open road racing so far this season. Apart from the distances to be covered -80 km from Invercargill to Lumsden, 60km from Lumsden to Kingston, a further 48km to Queenstown, two laps of the QueenstownArrowtown circuit totalling 55km and a criterium in Queenstown — there is the chilly southern weather to contend with as well. Blair Stockwell, though, holds happy memories of the tour. Stockwell won the event at his first attempt in 1974 and maintained a stranglehold on it for the next five years, but has not competed since. He, too, will be lacking in any long training rides, but his form so far has been good and, as with Fowler, he will start amongst the favourites. As for the other Canterbury riders, Chris Hogan and Jamie Nisbet are not to be taken lightly; Paul Flattery is making a come-back; Murray Steele and Craig

Adair will welcome the long mileage; and the trio of Ross Brimer, Wayne Eyre and Andrew Macbeth are most capable juniors. There are six or seven professionals riding, but the

big name rider is Timaru’s Colin Ryan. He is renowned for his track cycling, and it is difficult to see him lasting the distance. Even so he is bound to attract attention. _______