Cycling Gruelling course suits hill-climbers

Press, 21 August 1989, Page 24

Cycling Gruelling course suits hill-climbers

By

MALCOLM CONDIE

On a course ideally suited for hill-climbing specialists, Brian Fowler excelled against 21 other A grade riders to win all three stages of the graded Accent Lighting Christchurch to Akaroa cycling race on Saturday.

Fowler’s three-stage win gave him the maximum 15 points for the race and. a clear lead from the field’s next best hill-climber, Michael McLister, of Papanui.

Scott McDonnell, a promising rider from the same Woolston club as Fowler, convincingly won the B grade in the same fashion with maximum points on each stage. Rob Scott, of Hornby, was beaten into second place on only one stage in the C grade race, and won the grade with 14 points. The only part of the race suited to anybody strong on the flat was the first 30km of the 57km first stage. This was evident particularly in the A grade when Brent Ferigo broke away just before the sole sprint prime in the event, at Little River. His break was just enough to keep him away for the sprint and the associated prize. The first stage started at the Halswell Hall and finished by the Hilltop Tavern, before Akaroa. Just after Cooptown, Fowler made his presence felt as, by himself, he set his own pace up the cruel hill.

By the finish of that stage he was several seconds clear of second-placed McLister who was followed by David Powell. Dunedin’s Matt Thomson impressed with a fourth place on the first stage and his form continued in the other two stages, earning him two thirds and enough over all points for third place on general classification.

Stuart Mills took the minor money on the first stage with a fifth place. He repeated that performance in the second stage but did not feature in the final placings. The second stage of the race, from the Hilltop to an intersection known as Cab Stand, was as gruelling as it is notorious. The Christchurch to Akaroa race has a history of being

timed on one of the worst winter days of the year. Saturday, however, was ideal being fine, windless and dry.

But the second stage proved that the Summit Road to Akaroa has never been kind to cyclists. On Saturday, the riders had to contend with the added danger of frosty roads covered with grit. A couple of supporting vehicle as well as some riders came to grief during the second stage. Several riders crashed and were forced to withdraw, none with serious injury. In predictable style, Fowler overcame the up, down and twisty obstacles, as well as the ice, grit, and even snow to win the stage from a sprint with Michael McLister.

The pair had ridden their own race, not breaking away on this stage, merely pacing themselves. It was as if the entire A grade field was dropped because of the strength of these two. Fowler was always safe staying with McLister because his sprinting ability is far greater than McLister’s.

Nick Slade, third in the B grade’s first stage, came second in this stage. He was followed by Simon Rusbatch, also.third on the final stage. The 27km from the Hilltop to the Cab Stand Is arguably the toughest test riders have to face in the Canterbury Cycling Centre’s calendar. There is no opportunity to sit on anybody’s wheel and not do any work. Strength-sap-ping climbs are followed by short respites in winding descents.

Another factor cyclists had to consider was that the most difficult climb of the day was to follow, in the final stage. For those not in the first five placings in each grade, there was no point hurting muscles, just getting to the finish was reward enough. Another top ride in the second stage was recorded by Sally Fraser, in the B grade. Fraser, known for her hillclimbing ability, was fifth in the B grade on this stage — the quickest woman to finish the stage. Andrew Perry showed some of the form he possessed when he won a silver medal in the veteran class II section of the national cham-

pionships in Dunedin last year.

Perry was second in the C grade on the second stage, behind Rob Scott. Scott’s son, Steven, managed a fifth in the stage, to add to his fourth in the first stage and a fourth in the third stage.

Ail grades started the third stage in Akaroa. The C grade finished in Devauchelles, while the other grades continued up the hill to the finish line at the Hilltop Tavern. Fowler, as he had done all day, pulled away from the field as the climb began. Although he was a clear winner of the stage he looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable by the finish. Powell climbed impressively finishing only a few seconds back for second place. Slade, finishing fourth in this stage in the B grade, gave his all on the climb and was so exhausted afterwards, he had to be helped from his bike and off the road. Results.—

A grade.— stage one: B. Fowler 1, M. McLister 2, D. Powell 3, M. Thomson 4, S. Mills 5. Stage two: B. Fowler 1, M. McLister 2, M. Thomson 3, C. Crowe 4, S. Mills 5. Stage three: B. Fowler 1, D. Powell 2, M. Thomson 3, K. Gordon 4, M. McLister 5. Sprint prime: B. Ferigo. Over-all: B. Fowler 15 points, 1; M. McLister 9,2; M. Thomson 8, 3; D. Powell 7,4; K. Gordon 2, 5.

B grade.— Stage one: S. McDonnell 1, M. Wilkinson 2, N. Slade 3, S. Rusbatch 4, J. Bedwell 5. Stage two: S. McDonnell 1, N. Slade 2, S. Rusbatch 3, M. Wilkinson 4, S. Fraser 5. Stage three: S. McDonnell 1, S. Thomson 2, S. Rusbatch 3, N. Slade 4, J. Bedwell 5. Sprint: T. Carswell. Over all: S. McDonnell 15, 1; N. Slade 9,2; S. Rusbatch 8, 3; S. Thomson 4,4; J. Bedwell 2, 5.

C graade.— Stage one: L. Greene 1, R. Scott 2, A. Perry 3, S. Scott 4, R. Campfens 5. STage two: R. Scott 1, A. Perry 2, R. Campfens 3, R. Bush 4, S. Scott 5. Stage three: R. Scott 1, A. Perry 2, R. Campfens 3, S. Scott 4, L. Greene 5. Sprint: R. Scott. Over all: R. Scott 14, 1; A. Perry 11, 2; R. Campfens 7,3; L. Grene 6,4; S. Scott 5, 5.