Stern Test For Tabak Today

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31042, 23 April 1966, Page 11

Stern Test For Tabak Today

r FHE brief competitive career of T. J. Tabak—less than five years of serious road cycling—will reach a peak at Auckland today. The final trial for Empire Games selection will be held over a course of about 120 miles. For Tabak, the youngest New Zealand senior road’ champion—he is not 20 until next month—today’s trial is the climax of single-minded endeavour and fierce determination to represent his country of adoption as a road cyclist. So keen is Tabak to ride the road that he gave scarcely a thought to the individual pursuit on the track, at which he is national senior champion. “One man, one event, I reckon," is Tabak’s feelings on mixing road and track cycling.

However, although he won the New Zealand title wonderfully well in December, Tabak will be facing far sterner opposition today and can also be quite sure that the bunch will not sit back when he makes a break, as all did at Dunedin. The field at Dunedin did not include—as this field does—the two 1964 Olympic representatives, L. J. Byers and R. D. Johnstone, nor R. D. Thomson, B. Goldsworthy and L. B. O’Reilly. All except Goldsworthy (Wellington) are from Auckland. The selectors (Messrs H. R. Dutton, convener, M. T. Gamble and R. T. Sowry) have stated that the final

trials are to be “paramount” in their deliberations and for virtually the whole field, first, second and third placings (especially first) will be sought with a greater intensity than usual. Probably the only rider who could afford to finish out of the first three and still be reasonably sure of a trip is D. R. Thomson (Wellington). His wins in last year’s Dulux six-day, qualification for the Air New Zealand team to Australia, and success again in the Hamilton trial at Easter probably constitute as much proof of ability as the selectors wish. But the choice of the remaining three riders—and a possible emergency—is difficult to say the least A. J. Ineson (Southland) has an incredible record of consis-

tency over 100 miles. In the last three years, he has been placed in each New Zealand road championship, as well as taking fastest time on each occasion in the Timaru to Christchurch classic, and his lowest placing in several starts in the North Island recently is fourth. However, Ineson has a reputation for “sitting” on fields and using his powerful sprint finish at the end, apparently tactics frowned upon by the selectors.

Byers and Johnstone are two of the most experienced road cyclists, and two of the best produced by New Zealand. However, Byers will have to show he has fully thrown off the effects of the illness and injury that have dogged him since Tokyo, and Johnstone that age is not catching up on him. N. R. Robinson, M. W. Grace and Ritchie Thomson are cyclists with similar degrees of achievement and level of ability, the latter having burst back into prominence most unexpectedly at the Wanganui trial. Tabak is really up against it: the only real Canterbury contender opposing 14 Aucklanders, and some of them men of vast experience. To suceed in the face of such odds would be a magnificent achievement; Canterbury will wish him well.