Only TO Cycling Trialists Chosen

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31543, 4 December 1967, Page 14

Only TO Cycling Trialists Chosen

(From Our Cycling Reporter) WANGANUI. In a surprise move on Saturday afternoon, the national cycling selectors named only 10 riders to compete in 100 kilometres teams’ time trials.

The teams' races, the first trials for the Mexico Olympic Games, will be held today near Wanganui.

The riders, placed into teams yesterday by the selectors (Messrs D. B. Smith, con-

vener, L. E. Tall, and J. W. Partridge), are:— M. W. Grace (captain), S. J. Stephen (Auckland), D. Brown (W.C.N.1.), L. A. Cooper (Wellington), B. G. Bate (W.C.N.1.). R. D. Thomson (captain), B. W. Beeston (Auckland), J. A. Dean (W.C.N.1.), N. R. Lyster (Wellington), W. G. flendall (Canterbury). Bate and Kendall in the case of a puncture, mechanical trouble, or a rider being dropped, will move into the team.

Before the New Zealand 100mile championship on Saturday, Mr Smith said the selectors would name up to 20 riders for the trial. Asked after why there were so few, he said: "These were all we saw who we thought worth it.” Riders not named were not thus excluded from consideration for either the road race team or the time trial team. Rather, he said, the inference could be taken that “we are thinking of more than just four or. five road riders."

Cooper, Lyster, Kendall, and Stephen were already named before Saturday but there are some -incdnsistencies in the other selections. The choices of Dean, Beeston, Grace and Brown arti logical, blit the experienced Thomson was dropped in Saturday’s race and Bate did not impress, though he finished in the winning bunch. Four likely trialists, T, J. Tabak, R. J. Hogan (Canterbury), D. R. Thomson and H. J. Kent (Wellington), were, for various reasons, unable to be at the trial today.