From: F.Brown@massey.ac.nz (F.J. Brown)
Subject: NZPost New Zealand Cycle Classic: Stages 10 and 11
Summary: NZPost Stages 10-11
Keywords: racing
Organization: Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
X-Reader: NETNEWS/PC Version 2c
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 92 20:58:31 GMT

NZPost New Zealand Cycle Classic

Stage 10, Fri Nov 6, Hamilton - Auckland, 141 km

From "The Dominion":
An overseas rider is now set to win the classic for the first time since
1987.   A late bid to rescue the tour leader's jersey from foreign hands
failed as the New Zealanders refused to work together.   It would now
take a superhuman performance or a major rethink from the Kiwis to
prevent German Stephan Gottschling winning the tour.

The best chance to dislodge Gottschling from his powerful lead was in
this stage on busy State Highway 1.   A break of six riders cleared away
from the bunch while passing through Huntly, about halfway into the stage.
Led by Darien Rush who was highest on GC, the break consisted of Rush, Tom
Bamford, Peter Barnett (Aust), Kent Bostick (US), Mike Weissman (Nurnberg)
- whose job was to cover for team-mate Gottschling back in the bunch -
and Stuart Lowe (Sth Is), and were allowed to drift to a six-minute
advantage on the main bunch before the German and Swiss in the bunch combined
to drag then back to within 1 m 24 s at the finish up the Queen St. hill.
(*This is the main downtown street in Auckland and is just under a mile 
long, but quite steep - enough to be a bit of a grunt to walk up!)

Bostick, at 39 the oldest men in the field by six years, won the stage
after jumping clear from the break with 14 km left to ride.   However, 
he almost lost his chance when he missed a left turn into downtown
Auckland, instead following a motorbike carrying a television cameraman.
(*I don't know why he wasn't following the course - unless it was
over-zealous Kiwi patriotism!)   However, Bostick got back on the course
and at the finish he was 58 s clear of second-placed Weissman.

Rush, who had trailled Gottschling by 8 m 37 s when the stage started, was
disappointed with the light workload of some members in the break,
including Tom Bamford.   "We had a chance for Kiwis to win this race.
There was a possibility of taking nine or ten minutes out of the bunch and
putting a Kiwi in the yellow jersey, but not enough people in the break 
were prepared to work for it.   "Tom was taking easy turns and was not
interested in taking the advantage, and neither was Barnett.   All Tom's
excuse was that his team had Hart in fourth place but he is a long way
from the lead.   No-one remembers fourth".   Rush said he would
attack again on the final stage, but admitted he thought Gottschling
would win.

1. K Bostick (Shaklee US) 3 h 3 m 28 s
2. M Weissman (Nurnberg) at 58 s
3. D Rush (Chiquita NZ) at 59 s
4. P Barnett (Aust) at 1 m
5. S Lowe (Sth Is) at 1 m 1s

Stage 11, Fri 6 Nov, North Shore City Criterium, 45 km (6:45 pm)
From the "Evening Standard":
Weissman won the evening criterium, which was shortened to 35.5 km
because of rain making the circuit unsafe.

1. Weissman 53 m 8 s
2. G Miller (World Comp) 
3. R Cubric (World Comp)
4. Rush
5. R Harris (North/South Comp) all s.t.

GC:
1. S Gottschling (Nurnberg) 27 h 13 m 17 s
2. R Gartman (Taits Switz) at 30 s
3. A Mizourov (Kaz) at 2 m 37 s
(*In another interview, the Kazakhstan manager made repeated reference
to Mizourov being a "boy amongst men" - that is was very hard on him
psychologically, and that he didn't think he was yet mature enough to
attack for the lead.   Another boy with a bright future.)
4. B Hart (Smokefree NZ) at 3 m
5. P Leitch (Chiquita NZ) at 3 m 10 s
(*Last year's winner)
6. B Hickson (Fosters Aust) at 3 m 21 s
7. A Nadobenko (Kaz) at 7 m 52 s
8. Rush at 8 m 2 s
9. Weissman at 8 m 6 s
10. Cubric at 8 m 8 s

Sprint Ace:
1. D Matuszek (Nurnberg) 52 points
2. B McDonough (World Comp) 41
3. Nadobenko 30

KOM:
1. Nadobenko 44 points
2. Mizourov 40
3. S Williams (NZ) 30

U-22:
1. Mizourov
2. Hart
3. Hickson

Teams:
1. Smokefree NZ 
2. Kazakhstan at 3 m 16 s
3. Nurnberg at 4 m 43 s

The final stage (12) is 130 km around the greater Auckland area, and includes 
four gruelling hillclimbs.
-- 
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Frith Brown                           E-mail:  F.Brown@massey.ac.nz
Department of Plant Science Level 2   Phone:   +64 06 356 9099 ext. 8800
Massey University                     Fax:     +64 06 350 5614
Palmerston North                      
New Zealand                :-) Ride the bike, ride the bike, ride the bike ;-)
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