Fowler powers to road race win

Press, 15 July 1985, Page 44

Fowler powers to road race win

By

BRYCE SIMS

The Olympic Games cyclist, Brian Fowler, made no race of the Air New Zealand Canterbury qualifying tour contested over five stages at the week-end. On general classification Fowler won by seven and a half minutes from Greg Hume (Healing-Papanui), with David Lauder from the Hornby club 9s back. On Saturday Craig Fenton (Woolston General-Lee) won the first stage, held on the 46km Halswell-Motukarara circuit, from the Olympic track cyclist, Murray Steele, with Fowler finishing back in third place. In stage two, raced in the Halswell-Lincoln area, Fowler was too strong and won the stage in a sprint to the line from his Woolston club mate, Philip Gibbs with Aaron Lauder third. In the third and final stage on Saturday, Fowler showed his superior ability and stamina, to out-ride his fellow competitors on the 48m Hoon Hay Valley block, six laps of the Bkm circuit. In the third lap, Hume, Craig Adair (both Papanui), Fowler and Lauder (Hornby W.M.C.) broke away from the main bunch, but in the fourth lap Fowler and Lauder again rode away from the remaining riders, and opened up a 30s advantage,

In the final lap Fowler powered away from Lauder to win by one and a half minutes. He also dominated the various hill climbs. On the start of day two yesterday, Fowler held a good 2min lead over his closest rival, Fenton, and there was 20s covering nine riders contesting the second place spot. In stage four, raced over the 60km hilly reverse short bay circuit, Fowler, Hume, Michael McLister (Papanui) Fenton and David Lauder (Hornby W.M.C.) broke away from the main bunch on the hilly Evans Pass, and increased their lead to 20s from the main bunch through Cass Bay. The front five riders further increased the lead to two and a half minutes on the greasy roads round Governors Bay. In the hill climb, held on Gebbies Pass, Fowler won in a sprint from Hume, David Lauder and Fenton. McLister dropped off the leading bunch with mechanical problems. Fowler then went on to win the sprint and take line honours from Lauder and Hume. Abbreviations used in the results are:— Healing Papanui (HP), Hornby W.M.C. (H), Woolston-General Lee (W), Palmerston Nors (P).

Stage one, 46km, Hals-well-Motukarara area.— C. Fenton (W), Ih 4min 375, 1; M. Steele (H), 2; B. Fowler (W), 3; A. Lauder (H), 4; P. Gibbs (W), 5. Stage two, 45km, Hals-well-Lincoln area.—Fowler, 1:8:41, 1; Gibbs, 2; Lauder (H), 3; R. Brimer (H), 4; P. McNairney (P), 5. Stage three, 48km, Halswell block.—Fowler, 1:14:46, 1; A. Hood (HP) 2; A. Roxburgh (HP), 3; McNairney, 4; C. Adair (HP), 5. General classification after Saturday’s three stages.—Fowler, 3:27:2, 1; Fenton, 3:29:18, 2; Lauder, 3:29:24, 3; Hood, 3:29:29, 4; McNairney, 3:29:32, 5; B. Ferigo (H), 3:29:35, 6; Adair, Roxburgh and T. Morris 3:29:36, equal 7; P. Brimer (H), 3:29:38, 10.

Stage four, reverse short bay circuit, 60km.—Fowler, 1:24:15, 1; D. Lauder (H), 2; G. Hume (HP), 3; Fenton, 4; A. Lauder, 4; Roxburgh (HP), 6; J. Morrison (HP), 7. Stage five, 80km, Hals-well-Purau return.—Fowler, 2:16:47, 1; Hume, 2; D. Lauder, 3; Morrison, 4; M. McLister (HP), 5; Fenton, 6; Roxburgh, 7. Over-all classification.— Fowler, 7:18:8, 1; Hume, 7:25:40, 2; D. Lauder (H), 7:25:49, 3; Fenton, 7:28:34, 4; Roxburgh, 7:31:26, 5; Morrison, 7:32:42, 6; McLister, 7:38:24, 7.