Almost clean sweep by Canterbury cyclists

Press, 9 March 1987, Page 27

Almost clean sweep by Canterbury cyclists

PA Te Awamutu Canterbury cyclists made almost a clean sweep of the individual events at the final session of the Cadbury-Moro hard track cycling championships at Te Awamutu on Saturday night. Two Canterbury cyclists battled out the senior sprint title with John Andrews beating Willie Rastrick in two straight rides.

After the first ride, Rastrick protested on the grounds that Andrews had taken his racing line but the protest was dismissed. In the second ride, Andrews sat well back then jumped past Rastrick, giving the defending champion no chance. Rastrick was philosophi-

cal about the defeat and made no excuses but Canterbury officials confirmed rumours that he had been ill all of the previous afternoon and night with a violent stomach virus.

Daryl Kircher, also of Canterbury, beat the Oceania Games junior sprint champion Richard Schmid (Auckland) in two straight rides for the bronze. Darren Potter (Auckland), the only nonCanterbury rider in the junior final, broke the southern centres’ stranglehold in beating the Canterbury No. 2 seed, Johnny Wilson, to take the gold. Dale Edwards beat yet another Canterbury rider, Jason Rico, for third. In the final event of the

night, the 15,000 m Canterbury riders again dominated.

The former sprint champion, Mike Mcßedmond, and Gary Anderson were well placed at the start of the final lap but in the back straight three red jerseys swept around the field creating a perfect block in front

At the finish it was again Andrews first and Rastrick second with strongman Brian Fowler in third place. Things were different in the team events with Auckland winning the senior and junior team pursuits. The senior pursuit between Auckland and Canterbury had the crowd on edge as the lead changed twice but at the finish the

northerners — Craig Connell, Errol Hughes, Peter Harding and Allan Miller — came through to win by less than a second.

In the junior event, Auckland went on to the track as the underdogs facing a strong WaikatoBay of Plenty quartet but the team of Wells, Finnell, Reid and Hickey came through to win easily over their southern neighbours.

The other feature event, the tandem final, was something of an upset when the little-known Otago pair, Michael Crooks and Mark Dalzell, disposed of the highlyrated Auckland combination, Graeme Miller and Paul Leitch, by two rides to one. '