Litolff To Aid Tabak In Record Attempt

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31236, 7 December 1966, Page 23

Litolff To Aid Tabak In Record Attempt

I From Our Cycling Reporter)

The opposition to T. J. Tabak in his record attempt in the 4000-metre individual pursuit at English Park this evening will come from the Canterbury junior champion, M. W. Litolff.

With none of Canterbury’s other leading pursuit riders available, fit enough, or prepared to ride this gruelling event so early in the season, Litolff willingly stepped into the breach.

Without reasonable opposition, Tabak would have had to ride against the clock in

what is already a formidable task.

He has set himself a target of smin lOsec, which would break his, and S. J. Stephen’s Canterbury record of smin 16.8 sec. It would make Tabak the second-fastest pursuit rider in New Zealand history. Easily Beat Stephen

Litolff has the qualifications to push Tabak to a fast time. He won the Canterbury junior title earlier this year with a time of smin 21.9 sec, convincingly beating the favourite, Stephen. Although Tabak's attempt will be the highlight of this evening’s cycling, there will be also the first cup race of the season. The Percy Cole Memorial, a one-mile handicap race for amateurs, could well be decided on the attitude of the scratch-riders.

More than once this season, they have shown a reluctance —individually—to do a hard share of the lapping. The greater significance attached to this race could stir them from this attitude. Other feature races include an amateur A grade “Devil take the Hindmost,” a cash three-mile points race, and sprints between the novices, C. Evans and R. Knight, and P. D. Brydon and B. R. Chisholm.