Poor Control At Cycling Titles

Press, Volume C, Issue 29466, 18 March 1961, Page 5

Poor Control At Cycling Titles

ALTHOUGH the standard * of cycling at the New Zealand cycling championships held at Cooks Gardens Wanganui, last week was high, the same cannot be said of some of the officials and the primitive methods that were used. G. Hill •Canterbury) winner of the 1000 metres time trial could have easily lost this titie through slack timekeepers. There were six timekeepers. yet only one was sufficiently wide awake to press his watch when the gun sent Hill away for his iooo metres run. Hill’s ride was vastly superior to that of any other rider. Had the one and only alert timekeeper been in the land of slumbers as were his coofficials when the gun was fired Hill would have un-

doubtedly been called back to start again. This would have had an adverse effect on him and it is almost certain that he would not have produced such a scintillating ride at a second start. It was not until the Anal session that lap numbers were used. These are a must from the public’s point of view for any event over two laps. Bells must have been at a permium in Wanganui for the last lap warnings were given by hitting a steel ring and an old brake drum with a piece of iron. The knowledge of the rules of racing of the course stewards was very open to question. In the sprints, right under the eyes of a steward.

riders were being pushed off instead of being released. This pushing led to a protest and an appeal but it still went on. Blatant The most blatant infringement of the rules was when G. Wright (Wellington) was lying on A. Withers (Auckland) entering the 'back straight. So hard was Wright leaning on Withers that had Withers been able to move down the track Wright would have without doubt * fallen off. The course steward was standing not more than 10 yards away watching this infringement. Going down the back straight Wright even forced Withers well inside the pole line right under the eyes of the stewards at each end of the straight. Undoubtedly the control of events requires a real tightening up but this can only be done with practical men in charge. With W. Dalton away from New Zealand the 4000 metres individual pursuit was very open. The two Australians M. Langshaw and C. Burville, who qualified by a matter of two days to represent Otago-Southland were undoubtedly the best of the pursuit riders. Burville took the Otago title but at the championships Langshaw was right on form and won comfortably. B. Hazeldine ‘Canterbury) is without doubt the greatest junior sprinter New Zealand has produced and in each of his sprints he won just as he liked. It was Hazeldine who last year dethroned W. Johnston (Waikato) the undisputed sprint champion for seven years. Hazeldine was then riding as a senior by invitation. Johnston showed a complete return to his old form when he regained the sprint title, took the tandem event partnered by A. Candy, and then capped this with a brilliant win in the 10 miles.