Tabak Breaks Own Record

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31547, 8 December 1967, Page 14

Tabak Breaks Own Record

In his farewell to New Zealand cycling before leaving for Europe, the champion Canterbury rider, T. J. Tabak, last evening broke his New Zealand and Australasian one-hour record at English Park.

Tabak covered 26 miles 1745 yards, 578 yards further than the previous best he set in March, 1966. However, he was 429 yards short of the Commonwealth record (27 miles 414 yards) set by G. Webb (England) 15 months ago. If Tabak made an error, it was in making the pace too fast in the first 11 or 12 miles, a fact which he acknowledged later. After 15 laps, or nearly four miles, he was 24sec up on his schedule to break Webb’s mark, and at 35 laps, he was 26.75ec ahead of it.

Inside 10-mile Time

At 76 laps, Tabak was back to even with his schedule and from there he lost time very slightly. However, in the early very fast part of his ride, Tabak went through the 10mile mark in 21min 32sec—an unofficial timing but still 2.2 sec inside the New Zealand record for 10 miles unpaced, set by N. Ritchie (Auckland) 12 years ago. Tabak beat his previous record in 59min 15sec and finished only 15 yards short of a 27 m.p.h. average. This ride, however, was not as even as his previous attempts when Tabak maintained steady laps throughout. His variation last evening was from 30sec (second lap) to 35.8 sec (85th lap).

The Canterbury sprint champion, M. W. Litolff, recorded the outstanding time of 26sec for a flying quarter-mile in the supporting races. He was within .ssec of the New Zealand record for the event.

Litolff also continued his present outstanding form with a win In the scratch races, over three qiiles and a quarter-mile, and just failed to catch the front-marker, D. J. Savage, in a handicap U-mile race.

The other highlight of the meeting was provided by P. D.

Brydon, who left the boys’ ranks with wins in the Hornby club’s open championships over a quarter-mile and one mile, although failing to break the New Zealand records. Results: Amateur Scratch.—Open quarter-mile: M. W. Litolff 1, T. R. Weir 2, R. D. Mann 3. Time, 31.5. Flying quarter-mile time trial: Litolff, 26.0. Open three miles: Litolff 1, G. R. Sword 2, Mann 3. Time, 6:56. Handicap—One and a half mile groupings: D. J. Savage <220 vards) 1, Litolff <25 yards) 2, C. B. J. Fitzgerald (25 yards) 3. Time, 3:9.0. Cash Scratch. Three-mile points race: B. W. Yaxley. 12 points, 1: C. D. Yaxley, 10, 2; G. O. Moore. 7, 3. Time, 6:38.9. Devil take the hindmost: A. O'Hagan 1, F. R. Hooper 2, Moore 3. Time, 3:16.8. Novice Hornby Open Championships. —Quarter-mile: P. D. Brydon 1, R E. Knight 2, K. D. Wapp 3. Time, 31.6. Mile: Brydon I, D. N. McEvoy 2, Knight 3. Time. 2:18.2. Handicap.—Half-mile: G. A. Smith <9O yards) 1, A. V. Barford (45 vards) 2, G. Ravenwood (100 vards) 3. Time. 61.8.