Australian Games highlight of Hogarth’s season

Press, 1 September 1989, Page 21

Australian Games highlight of Hogarth’s season

By

MALCOLM CONDIE

Unlike many cyclists in New Zealand Rod Hogarth is not aiming to peak for the national championships in Auckland at the end of this month — he has his eyes set on the Australian Masters Games in Adelaide from October 14 to 22. Hogarth has become a fan of the Australian Masters Games — the last time he went, in 1987, he won the road race against some of the world’s top road riders. Because of that win, he was invited back with the temptation of free accommodation this year.

As well as the road race, Hogarth will this year be riding the 40km individual road time trial, the 1000 m track time trial and a one hour criterium. The extra events have meant Hogarth has had to do some track preparation — cycling he has not done since 1968.

Hogarth trains for an hour a week on the track, on a bike borrowed from the top junior trackie, Hamish Upston. Although initially apprehensive about returning to what is a more dangerous form of cycling, Hogarth remembered his track cycling skills quickly. "It came straight back to me. At the end of the first day, I was off my seat springing around the bends all the way.”

He has taken to the track so well, he is even thinking about riding it

back in New Zealand this year. "I think I’ve got more nerve now, than I had when I was a junior.” Apart from the kilometre time trial, all Hogarth’s other races are on the road, and it is this training he has been concentrating on. Hogarth lives in Rangiora and works as the maintenance supervisor at Christ’s College. Every day he cycles to and from work, and, as well, often rides around the Port Hills before the journey home.

All this adds up to between 20 and 25 hours training a week, “depending on weather.” In helping him with his training, the school has given him time to train, and he also takes a cycling sports class on Wednesdays. In March, Hogarth found a sponsor which has helped him with his preparation for the Australian Games. So far he considers he is pretty much on target in his fitness and training. As final preparation for the Games, Hogarth will be using the nationals as a preparatory ride, rather than try and peak for the nationals, then maintain that peak until the Australian event.

“I’m looking better for October than for the nationals. I’m going to the nationals as preparation for Australia. It’s too hard to peak and hold it for three weeks.”

Hogarth considers he has a good chance of doing well this year. “I’m going there to win medals, more so than two years ago.” Aged 40, Hogarth is a class one veteran, but age has not slowed him. He has performed consistently in the A grade of the open races he has raced this season. Last year, at the national road championships, in Dunedin, he was second in his grade and was in the team which won gold in the veterans 40km team time trial. His strength lies in sprinting, but Hogarth is strong on the hills, and it was this asset which helped him to his goal during the last Australian Masters road race which was held on a steep course. Hogarth’s wife, Pam, will be attending the games as well. She went with him on the 1987 trip, and was successful in her own event, the 10km road running. She won a silver then, and has entered a 10km event this year.

The two will leave a week before the games and try to get some races in before the games. Hogarth’s cycling history goes back some years. He began as a novice in 1960 and rode consistently until 1972. From then until 1982 he did not ride a bike at all. For the last six years, as a veteran he has built up his fitness to an inter-

national standard and is performing well at national level. Even though he said the nationals in Auckland this month were to be a preparation for the Australian meet, he intends to ride the teams time trial as hard as possible. Unlike past years the teams trials are before the road race. “I’ll aim for the teams time trials. I want

to really slog myself in that,” he said. “But the highlight of this season is Australia. I’ll just take what I can get at the nationals.” After the road season finishes, Hogarth has tentative plans for racing triathlons. "I’ll probably do a couple of triathlons over the summer, just to keep fit. I’ll treat them solely as fun.”