Handlebars may be key to success
By
KEVIN TUTTY
Erin Baker hopes that the radical handlebars on her racing bicycle will enable her to beat her rivals in the prestigious Hawaii ironman triathlon on October 10. Baker, regarded as the top woman triathlete in the world, has spent the last month in Christchurch familiarising herself with the new handlebars and completing her training for the marathon triathlon. . . A month ago she was beaten for the first time in two and . a half years in a triathlon; on . the island of Bermuda, and she put her defeat down to the advantage her opponents gained from using the., new handlebars. On downhill sections and in headwinds the bars
aid the aerodynamics of the rider. Baker found she was being passed frequently by riders on downhill sections in Bermuda while she was able to match them on the uphill sections. Baker is not enraptured with the new handlebars. “I am not an advocate of them. They take a lot of/ getting used to and if they ?; were banned it would suit me,” she said. But because of thqlr benefits she will per;-*' severe with them. , t Baker said she was .not too disappointed by ,-the loss at Bermuda ;and/her x main aim .this season 1 has been tor wiis/the/Hawaii*event 1 After Bermuda l she re-;/ turned to Christchurch ’fo : train in familiar surrotindings., V”
*‘l can train easily and very well here, and I. was;" sick of being away. I had - no more races planned 1 , before Hawaii so decided .; to return to /'. Christchurch.” .v //Her fiance, John Hughes, has stayed, in San ? Diego to train with Rich- ? ard Wells, New Zealand’s leading male "They, Bre both compet- -' ing in file Nice event (two • weeks after Hawaii) and. prefeX- \the warmer clim- ■ training.” .• sixth placing i<. 'Bermuda has not caused?/ /'Baker to change her type/ -■Of/training for the Hawaii' £<ace, but she has indefeased the amount of cycling and swimming. ’« . She has been doing ! three extra swimming sessions at Queen Elizabeth II Park.
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Press, 24 September 1987, Page 52
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340Handlebars may be key to success Press, 24 September 1987, Page 52
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