Notable ride by Sumich

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 20

Notable ride by Sumich

NZPA staff correspondent Los Angeles The New Zealand road cyclist, Roger Sumich, proved his form for Sunday’s 189 km Olympic event with a slashing second in a warm-up race near Los Angeles on Tuesday. Sumich outsprinted Olympic contenders from the top cycling countries, France and Italy and was only half a bike length away from the winner, one of the Frenchmen. “There was a sharp corner about 200 metres from the finish,” Sumich said. “I was fifth into it and seventh out of it so it was very satisfying to still be able to get up in the sprint.” “I couldn’t corner the way some of the Europeans were — they were leaning over on their bikes like they were formula one motorcyclists. I took it much more steadily.” Sumich said he was content with the way he rode the whole of the 100 km criterium and was up with the leaders for most of it. “They must have thought I was a bit of a threat because the French manager was yelling to his riders, ‘Watch the New Zealander*.” Unlike his road colleagues Stephen Cox and Brian Fowler, Sumich spent the northern season in Italy, riding a variety of stage and single-day races, and arrived in California a fortnight ago for sharpening-up training. Tuesday’s race at Manhattan Beach, north of Los Angeles, was his first experience of riding in the Californian heat “although it’s similar in Italy and I got used to that.” Sumich questioned the

worth of the other New Zealanders going to Colorado for the annual Coors Classic. “It was a stage race and at altitude,” Sumich said,. “two factors which will be absent here. The Colorado race would have suited only the Americans who train there all the year round and no-one else.” Sumich has ridden over the 15.7 km games course at Mission Viejo which will be covered 12 times oh Sunday, the first day .of games competition. “It’s pretty hard,” he said, “but what you would expect for an Olympic road race. The first hill of about 800 metres is hard but the second is not so bad, although it will get worse each time you climb it.” Sumich has no tactical plan worked out with Fowler and Cox yet. “In a race like this you have to play it pretty much by ear — making sure you stay in contact with the leaders and then going with the right break.” Fowler was named as the chief road rider when the Olympic team was chosen in April but Sumich said it was not always possible to ride for a team-mate. “If I get away with a good break, I’d expect Fowler to try and slow the pursuit for me,” he said, “just as I or Coxy would do for Brian if he was away. That’s the only way you can ride these things.”