Fowler leads tour

Press, 17 October 1986, Page 4

Fowler leads tour

PA Invercargill The Christchurch cyclist, Brian Fowler, held a seven second lead after the first three stages of the Rothmans Tour of Southland yesterday. Of the three stages, Fowler triumphed only in stage two — the Lorneville to Bluff run — and the gruelling Bluff Hill climb. Fowler went into the stage without the yellow tour leader’s jersey he had won at the preliminary stage time trial in Invercargill the night before. Having been pipped at the end of stage one in Otautau yesterday morning, Fowler handed the jersey over to the Aucklander Roger Sumich, who finished the 80km stage in 2hr 18min 595. '(tje Aucklander proved to be a bit of a handful for

Fowler. “He’s going much better . than I thought he would be,” said Fowler at the end of stage three in Bluff. "At the moment he will be the guy to beat. He and Cox are going to be real threats” he said. Among the race front runners, the tour is developing into a Christchurch versus Auckland duel. Much of yesterday's action came from dicing between the South island team of Fowler, Peter Coates and Del Woodford, and the Auckland pack of Sumich, Gavin Stevens and Michael Griffiths. Heading the midfield challenge is the Hamilton trio of the national road race title holdelr Bruce Storrie, t(je 1981-82 tour winner, Stephen Cox, and Paul Miller.