Two-way cycling contest?

Press, 24 June 1983, Page 17

Two-way cycling contest?

For the fourth time in as many years, there will be a different winner’s name engraved on the national Hope Gibbons Shield at Levin tomorrow.

But there will almost certainly not be many strangers to victory in 40km team time trial cycling who step on to the rostrum. If past experience and performances in centre competition are any indication, Healing-Papanui — which, as Papanui, shares with Point Chevalier the proudest of records in this long-standing event — and Tingeys-Dulux are set to battle out first place. There has not been a winning Papanui team without Blair Stockwell, and this most amazing of continuing cycling success stories is there again, as good and as strong as ever. He has with him, too, Toni Horne, who has been in his share of winning teams; Craig Adair and Greg Fraine of last year’s team which was “only” fourth; and Jamie Nisbet as the newcomer. Steve Cox was at the centre of last year’s controversy when he fronted up for Morrinsville, though registered with his own organ-

isation. Now he has Jack and Steven Swart from last year’s Morrinsville team, Tony Catterick and Graham Hunn as well.

So while Papanui’s centre championship time of 52min 10s — a national best time — shades Cox’s squad by 535, a comparison between times recorded at local level is an invidious exercise.

At a domestic level, for example, Wainuiomata recorded a smart 52min 225;

Hutt only 30s slower in Wellington, but Wellington teams do not have a record of producing the times they should in the final. Similarly, too, with Palmerston North’s 53min 345: background and personnel suggest more that Hornby, (54min 35s in the local event) and Point Chevalier (55min 565) will be the closest challengers to Healing-Papanui and Tingeys-Dulux.

Ray Cairns