Optimistic build-up for Games cyclists

Press, 23 July 1986, Page 31

Optimistic build-up for Games cyclists

By

BRYCE SIMS

New Zealand's cyclists have had an Impressive build-up to the Commonwealth Games, which start in Edinburgh tomorrow night (N.Z. time). In its quest for medals the team has had a successful build-up, with the track squad having success in the United States, and the road team striking top form in Europe, and England. The strongman of the road team, and the best gold medal prospect, Brian Fowler, of Canterbury, is in devastating form and has reached his peak after his latest win in one of the final races before the Games, when he blitzed a strong field in a 150 km warm-up race in Glasgow. Before his recent win Fowler had success in Europe, with an encouraging eleventh placing in the Tour of Switzerland, and finished second in the king of the mountain series.

In the early stage of the build-up he won the fiftieth anniversary Manx 113-mile international road race held on the Isle of Man racing circuit The Eltham rider, Blair Cox, turned in a strong ride to finish fourth in the event while the team took the team prize. The road team also turned in a fine ride in the 150strong field of riders in the mountain time trial at the same meeting. The Auckland rider and a top medal prospect Graeme Miller, also turned in a courageous ride to finish second in the event behind the British time trial champion, Darryl Webster, with Miller’s team-mates Fowler and Cox finishing third and fourth, respectively.

Miller also showed his class when he rode clear of the field in the 106-mile Bristol race in the last 12 miles to win from a leading bunch containing top English riders,

and members of the Welsh and Scottish teams. Before the Bristol race Miller gained more laurels when he took line honours in the Vaux Grand Prix in Durham, England. In addition to the fine performances on the road, the 100 km time trial team of Blair Cox, Greg Fralne (Nelson), Paul Leitch (Auckland), and Miller, was shaping well, and has been clocking times around the Ihr Imin mark over the 50km distance. The seven-man track cycling section of the team working from Indianapolis, in temperatures reaching higher than 35 degrees, have all turned in commendable displays as they sharpen up for their respective events.

William Rastrick, of Canterbury, has recorded the best times of all the team sprinters after overcoming a bad Injury early in the New Zealand training stint, when a

fellow rider collided with him on the track. Rastrick also turned in a top time at a meeting held at the Major Taylor velodrome in Indianapolis, when he just missed out cracking the track

record, which is currently held by the Los Angeles Olympic gold medallist and American sprint champion, Mark Gorski, of the United States. Gary Anderson, of Wanganui, last year's junior world individual pursuit bronze medallist, won the kilometre time trial, lurning in a fine time of Imin Bs, beating the national champion, Murray Steele (Canterbury) by Is. Anderson also recorded a smart time of 4min 48s in the individual pursuit, which was only one-tenth of a second outside the track record. Filling second, third and fourth places were Anderson’s fellow team pursuiters Steven Swart (Waikato), Andrew Whitford (Tokoroa),and Russell Clune (Auckland). Michael Mcßedmond (Palmerston North), a former national sprint champion, was also in top form at the same

meeting, when he capitalised on some fine team work to win the 120-lap points race. Earlier Mcßedmond and Rastrick got through to the quarter-finals of the sprints. On their arrival in Indiana, for the start to their training schedule, all the riders had instant success, dominating the earlier meetings in the hot temperatures. Swart, who had the benefit of racing in Europe before joining the team, won a 60lap points race and his teammates, Anderson and Mcßedmond, finished third and fourth.

In a criterium event held in Indianapolis, Swart again impressed the Americans, winning the event easily from a high-class field of 87 riders. Steele, New Zealand’s other performer in the race, finished a creditable eighteenth. At the same meeting, Whitford was enterprising when he was first home in a 15-lap event, with Rastrick finishing third and Steele fourth. Anderson notched up a fourth in a 64km road race around Indianapolis, and Swart finished a strong fifth, with his compatriot, Steele, finishing in seventh place.