BAD CRASH NO BAR TO TABAK’S WIN

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31210, 7 November 1966, Page 3

BAD CRASH NO BAR TO TABAK’S WIN

“The Press'* Special Service WELLINGTON. In probably the finest performance of his career, the Avon club rider, T. J. Tabak, won the 1966 Dulux six-day cycling race from Auckland to Wellington on Saturday.

Tabak has won such contests as the New Zealand 100-mile championship and shorter races. But it was only in his first attempt at the 650mile race that he was able to show his true ability and confirm that he is the complete cyclist.

To defeat his Australian rival, M. H. Powell, Tabak had to recover from a bad crash only 20 miles from the end and lost almost a minute as a result. Powell and R. J. Jenkins, alsc of Australia, made the most of Tabak’s mishap and

forced the pace over the closing miles. However, Tabak displayed both power and courage and took only 12 miles to rejoin the main bunch. Helped by his teammate, A. J. Ineson (Invercargill), he covered Powell all the way to the end. ALLIANCE Before the race, Tabak had arranged an informal alliance with Ineson and the former international track athlete, N. I. Scott Tabak won the overall tour, Ineson the king of the mountains section, and Scott the handicap division.

Powell held on for second in the general classification from G. D. King (Auckland), who crashed with Tabak on a slippery bridge, but took a little longer to remount. The veteran six-day rider, R. D. Johnstone (Auckland) led the mountain-climbing section until the fifth day, but Ineson won it when he headed the bunch up the rugged Paekakariki Hill, 25 miles from Wellington. FOXTON SPRINT

H. J. Kent (Poneke) won the Foxton sprint, and then B. J. Roberts (Auckland) and W. A. Cornish, of Waikato, joined him on the run to Levin. Roberts and Kent captured all the rich sprints into Wellington, and Cornish took both of the day’s climbs. The main body of the field finished about six minutes later than Kent Powell took fourth place and a two-second bonus that narrowed his over-

all deficiency to Tabak to 85 seconds. W. H. Little, I. J. Anderson, ■ Johnstone and K. N. Golds-1 worth—all from Auckland—] were next. Among Tabak’s many trophies for the week were a 23in television set, a vacuum cleaner, a wrist watch, and two cups. TRIPLE POSSIBLE Tabak could be the first rider to take the “grand slam” in one season. He has already won the first two legs —the Tour of Manawatu and the Dulux six-day race. The last leg is the Southland three-day tour—an event he won last year. The tour will start from Invercargill on Thursday and cover four stages and 326 miles. Results:—

Ninth stage (95 miles): H. J. Kent (Poneke). 1; B. J. Roberts (Point Chevalier), 2; W. A. Cornish (Poneke), 3: M. H. Powell (Australia), 4; W. H. Little (Point Chevalier), 5; I. J. Anderson (Papatoetoe), 6: R. D. Johnson (Point Chevalier). 7: K. N. Goldsworthy (North Shore), 8. Time, 3hr 59mln Usee. Over-all final classification: T. J. Tabak (Christchurch). 26:43:55, 1; Powell, 26:45:30, 2; G. D. King (Papatoetoe), 26:46:39. 3; A. J. Ineson (Invercargill), 26:51:9, 4: D. F. Stowell (Wanganui), 26:52:13, 5; Little, 26:54:11, 6; Johnstone, 26:54:25, 7. “King of the mountains”: Ineson, 42 points. 1; Johnstone, 37, 2; Tabak, 26, 3; Cornish, 24, 4. Handicap: N. I. Scott (Auckland). 1; E. Catherwood, 2; R. Jenkins (Australia), 3.