Records And Crashes In Cycling Titles

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31001, 5 March 1966, Page 16

Records And Crashes In Cycling Titles

New Zealand records, a crash at the end of a heat of the boys’ one mile and the withdrawal from the remainder of the event of New Zealand’s outstanding sprint rider, V. L. Newloye, was among the highlights of the national cycling championships at English Park yesterday.

The crash in the boys’ race came when S. Hudson (Canterbury) led a tightlybunched group of four to the finishing line. Although all were qualifying, there was a frantic jostling for first place. Hudson won—by an inch and a half—but A. Batts (Auckland) and N. Gaines (Southland) collided. The photo-finish revealed that Batts came off his cycle four feet from the finish and skidded across for his fourth placing. Both riders suffered bad bruising and abrasions. Dean Outstanding In a day of very fine performances, the greatest efforts were those of J. Dean, the West Coast (North Island) junior. Last year the winner of four titles, he appears to be on the threshold of a remarkable career. Because of the rain on Thursday evening, yesterday was a crowded programme and Dean found hmiself, in the late morning and afternoon, competing in the time trial (a kilometre), and qualifying races for the indidividual pursuit (4000 metres) and five miles. But he responded in the manner of a true champion and, after his incredible time in the time trial, came from

behind in both the other races to qualify. In a semi-final of the pursuit, against S. J. Stephen (Canterbury), Dean was 30 to 40 yards behind with a lap to go. He won by a yard.

But even Dean is not indestructible. and he had to concede defeat in the final of the five miles in the evening session.

N. Hodges (Southland) and M. W. Litolff (Canterbury), both handily placed throughout the race, finished magnificently and Dean, who was probably tired by following Stephen in his frequent sprints, had no answer at the finish. Hodges Hung On For a time it looked as though Litolff, the multiple Canterbury champion, would catch Hodges as they entered the straight, but the Southlander hung on grimly. The boys’ quarter-mile was a triumph for the slight Canterbury youngster, A. A. Paviell. Riding against boys bigger than himself and a powerful West Coast-North Island team of three, Paviell found a strong sprint to win, as the photo-finish revealed, by four inches. The stage is set for a gripping final in the senior individual pursuit. A. J. Ineson (Southland) beat W. G. Kendall (Canterbury) in one semi-final, and T. J. Tabak, also of Canterbury, rode very

strongly to ease away, slightly, from R D. Thomson (Auckland). Both winners are riding very powerfully and consistently. Holders Defeated A surprise in the tandems was the failure of the senior title-holders, G. Bannister and N. Joyce, who are riding as individuals, to qualify. They lost a semi-final to the number one Southland pair, W. Ainge and G. Hill. In the teams’ 4000 metres pursuit, the Canterbury juniors beat the New Zealand record, set by their counterparts last season, by l.lsec, also eclipsing the time they recorded in a run against the Canterbury seniors a week ago. There was also some fine team riding in the heats of the junior five miles, by Southland in the first and Canterbury in the second. The Southland pair. Hodges and G. Brotherstone, rode shrewdly to take the first two placings and, with L. Booth qualifying in the second heat, these three will constitute a formidable problem to the other five-milers. Stephen and Litolff also teamed well, Stephen eventually moving away with three laps to go and Litolff looking after the other riders, particularly D. A. Comparini (Wellington), much further back.