Smart praise for Stuart

CYCLIST Stuart Le Tissier is the nsew-sponsored Sports Commission sports personality for June. The 22-year-old has been going through a purple patch of late and, within the space of three days during last month, he was crowned island criterium champion and won a bronze medal in the South Division Closed Road Circuit Race Championships.

'He has got so much potential it has just been a question of trying to bring it out of him,' said Rob Smart, who has been coaching his brother-in-law, Le Tissier.

'I give him similar training to that which Paul Brehaut gives me but it is just more road orientated than mine, which is geared towards mountain biking.

'His confidence has grown since April when he won the Easter festival and he has gone from strength to strength.

'He is looking really good and he has got age on his side.'

Le Tissier proved his ever-increasing awareness to win the criterium title in a tactical battle with Guernsey's other top riders over 35 laps of the Delancey Circuit.

Just days later, he and Smart lined up among 50 starters on Colerne Airfield near Bath for the South Division Championships.

Having worked together to break from the peleton with one mile of the 26 to go, Le Tissier scorched the final sprint to take a well-deserved third place.

'We went away for a couple of races including that one and in both he was stronger than me. When he came third, I had got away but he rode across the gap with comparative ease,' Smart said.