Stephen Returning To Rotorua

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31085, 14 June 1966, Page 19

Stephen Returning To Rotorua

The young Avon club cyclist, S. J. Stephen, who was a New Zealand representative in Tasmania last year, will return to Rotorua about the end of this month for six or seven weeks. Stephen has been In the North Island since before the Empire Games trials in April and only returned to Christchurch last week. He made a bad start to his road programme here, arriving late for the 25-mile Grant (Jup junior teams’ time trial on Saturday. In the Waikato, Stephen has had considerable success. He took fastest time from the Empire Games riders, J. A. Bigwood and R. D. Thomson, in a 38-mile handicap race late last month, then won second fastest time in a three-day tour of Thames on Queen’s Birthday week-end. Stephen finishes ahead, in the averall table, of such noted riders as L. J. Byers, M. W. Grace. R. D. Johnstone and G. Grey. Because he will be away for July, Stephen will miss a number of the big Canterbury races. These will in-

dude the club 50-mile championships, the Canterbury 100 kilometres event, the Shirley Lodge 80 miles and the local 100-kilometre teams’ time trials.

He will also miss the Canterbury qualifying race for the Air New Zealand Grand Prix. His sixth placing in this national final last year won Stephen a place in the New Zealand team. However, he will ride in the Waikato qualifying race and has his mind set on repeating last year’s performance. Stephen also intends to ride in Auckland about halfway through next track season and will probably take part in the six-day madisons with either Bigwood or the national sprint champion. N. F. Joyce (West Coast-North Island).