Swart richly deserves tour victory

Press, 10 November 1986, Page 40

Swart richly deserves tour victory

PA Auckland Waikato’s outstanding rider, Jack Swart, nol wanted by the New Zealand selectors, richly deserved to win the country’s top cycling classic on Saturday, the gruelling Wellington - to - Auckland seven-day race. With his victory in the Raleigh classic assured, Swart sprinted clear of the bunch on Saturday to finish the final stage in second place behind his rising younger brother, Stephen, who burst clear five laps from home.

It was Swart’s third North Island tour win, matched only by his old friend and rival, Blair Stockwell, now riding professionally in Australia. Swart, aged 32, was reluctant to be drawn on the question of his reported retirement.

"I am going to have to pick a time and say that’s it,” he said. “To win this race is still the big one and the fact we (along with his brother and Stephen and Blair Cox) did it as a team made it even better.”

Swart was full of praise for this year’s race despite the high drop-off rate. Only 25 of the selected 50-strong field completed the classic.

From the start of the last stage, the 140 km ride from Hamilton to Auckland, it was obvious Swart was in control.

Content to ride along in the 25-strong bunch Swart, who still did his share at the front, had his rivals covered.

The only possible threat came on the Bombay

climb but he went over just behind the Czech, Omar Palov, who was second over all.

The field lapped it out to the finish where Roger Sumich repeated last year’s effort in taking the stage from another Aucklander, Gavin Stevens, with three of the overseas riders also in the five-man break who jumped away just before the line.

Swart said next time he lines up in the race it might be in the workhorse role for his brother. “Once he becomes consistent he will do well,” Swart said. “He is more experienced than I was at his age.” Result.— General classification (final): J. Swart (Hamilton), 28hr 54min 435, 1; O. Palov (Australia), Imin Ils, 2; D. Mann (England), 2min 425, 3;. P. Coates (Christchurch), 3min 13s, 4; P. Leitch (Auckland), 4min ss, 5; T. Wegmueller (Switzerland), 4min 265, 6; N. Dahlberg (Palmerston North) 4min 345, 7; A. Logan (Australia), smin 245, 8; R. Sumich (Auckland), 6min 455, 9; A. Whitford (Tokoroa), Bmin Bs, 10; S. Cox (Hamilton), 9min 535, 11; C. Connell (Auckland), lOmin 265, 12; S. Swart (Hamilton) 12min 2s, 13; D. Dush (Wellington) 19min 12s, 14; B. Cox (Eltham) 23min 375, 15. King of the Mountains: Palov 120 pts, 1; J. Swart 44, 2; A. Miller (Auckland) 40, 3; B. Cox 32, 4; Coates 30, 5; Leitch 24, 6.

Sprint Ace: Rush 36pts, 1; Leitch 23, 2; Miller 19, 3; Mann 18, 4; G. Stevens (Auckland) 12, 5. Under-21: Connell 1, Rush 2, K. Takakuwa (Japan) 3, J. Kikuta (Japan) 4, S. Umezawa (Japan) 5.