Miller cycling leader into tour’s final day

Press, 25 October 1985, Page 32

Miller cycling leader into tour’s final day

Graeme Miller, of Auckland, holds his lead going into the final day of racing in the Healing Tour of the South cycling classic today. After the second day of the tour yesterday, Miller held a slender 4s lead over Canterbury’s outstanding road cyclist, Brian Fowler. The two New Zealand representatives have the tour to themselves. The third place-getter on general classification, Gavin Stevens, of Auckland, is Bmin 14s down on Miller, in third place. Fowler started the second day 7s down on Miller and lost ground when Miller won the fifth stage from Hanmer Springs to Waipara yesterday morning. He then trailed by 12s, after finishing second to Miller in that stage. In the next stage, from Waipara to Rangiora, one of 45km, Fowler picked up 3s when finishing second to Steve Bent (England), with Miller finishing third. Fowler finished the day by winning the final stage of 45km from Rangiora to Belfast, to end up 4s down over all from Miller. He was considerably ahead of Stevens and all other pursuers.

The riders started day two from Hanmer Springs to Waipara in ideal conditions, with Fowler taking

out the first hill climb narrowly from Miller and Roger Sumich, of Auckland. At the 30km mark, Dean Lovett, of Canterbury, jumped the bunch and opened up a 45s lead on the bunch, and won the Culverden sprint from Miller and Fowler. Lovett increased his lead to Imin over the bunch, but with Miller and Fowler putting in hard laps, they cut his lead to 50s. Lovett won the Hurunui sprint from Brent Ferigo and Andrew Yelverton, both of Canterbury. The bunch eventually picked up Lovett on the Waikari Hills, after he won the Karaka Downs hill climb. Halfway through the fifth stage, Miller, Fowler, Stevens, and John Mullan, the Belgium-based New Zealand professional, made a substantial break on the field. The four riders opened up a lead of Imin 30s on the bunch at Scargill, with Fowler winning the Scargill climb from Miller and Stevens. The third and final climb of the stage was won by Miller, from Fowler and Stevens. In the final kilometre of the fifth stage, Fowler

jumped the break bunch, but was quickly caught by Miller who outsprinted him to take line honours.

The bunch sprint was won by Dominic Windsor, of England, from William Rastrick, of Canterbury. There was action early in the 45km sixth stage from Waipara to Rangiora. The race was stopped by officials, and the riders cautioned for dangerous riding. When the race resumed three riders crashed in a spectacular accident, and Mullen withdrew from the race with injury. : Steve Bent, of England, won the first sprint into Amberley from Fowler and Michael Leahy, of Southland.

In the final kilometre of the stage, Bent attacked the bunch and won the break away sprint by 17s to win the stage from Fowler and Miller.

Sumich made dn early break on the field in the final 45km Rangiora to Belfast stage, and won the Fernside sprint by 30s. He was eventually picked up by the bunch after 10km. At the 15km mark, the field split into two bunches. Fowler and Miller quickly broke, opening up a lead of 90s.

Halfway through the

stage the two riders further increased their lead to 3min over the break bunch, and Fowler won the Clarkville sprint from Miller. In the final kilometre of the last stage, Miller made a move on Fowler, but Fowler came at him and narrowly took line honours to win the stage. Results.— Stage s.—Hanmer-Waipara 112 km: G. Miller, (Auckland), 2hr 40min 525, 1; B. Fowler (Canterbury), 2; G. Steven (Auckland), 3; J. Mullan (Canterbury), 4; D. Windsor (England), 5; W. Rastrick (Canterbury), 6. Stage 6.—Waipara-Rangiora 45km: S. Bent (England), 1:06.27, 1; B. Fowler, 2; G. Miller, 3; R. Sumich (Auckland), 4; M. Leahy (Southland), 5. Stage 7—Rangiora-Belfast 45km: B. Fowler, 1:5.14, 1; G. Miller, 2; R. Sumich, 3; P. Coates (Canterbury), 4; M. Leahy, 5; G. Stevens, 6. General classification after seven stages: G. Miller, 10:6.44, 1; B. Fowler, at 4s, 2; G. Stevens, at Bmin 14s, 3; R. Sumich, at lOmin 13s, 4; G. Hume (Canterbury), at llmin 3sec, 5; P. Coates (Canterbury), at llmin 3sec, 6. Honda King of the Mountain series: B. Fowler 90pts, G. Miller 66pts, D. Wispinski (Otago), 22pts. Epiglass sprint ace.—B. Fowler 24pts, G. Miller 19, W. Rastrick (Canterbury), 11.