Cycling Trial To Dean

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31677, 13 May 1968, Page 7

Cycling Trial To Dean

J. A. Dean (West Coast - North Island) on Saturday assured himself of nomination for the Olympic Games. After controlling the Held for the last 35 miles. Dean won the first Olympic Games road cycling trial on the 16.6 mile Waikari circuit. The winning time of 4hr 35min ssec was—by llmin—a New Zealand record for 120 miles and probably one of the fastest times in the world for the distance, which is equivalent to about 192 kilometres The enterprise of Auckland riders—ls travelled the long distance for the trial—was rewarded when B. W. Beeston, J. W. Broome, R. D. Thomson and M. W. Grace took the minor placings after Dean, and another five were in the finishing bunch of 14. An almost equal impact was made by the “elder statesmen" I of New Zealand’s leading cyclists, D. R. Thomson (Wellington), and the fancied Canterbury rider, R. J. Hogan. i For five of the seven laps : these two controlled the race from the front, in a two-man breakaway which began almost as soon as Mr J. Mathison, M.P., started the race. Lapping strongly, and with neither a dominant partner, Hogan and Thomson kept a lead of between 2}min and 3imin on the main bunch. Efforts were made by A. G. Ineson (Southland) and H. D. Kent (Wellington), early in the race: J. R. Atkinson (Southland) and G. Croskery (East Coast-North Island) after 20 miles; and these four, with the substitution of P. Vercoe '(Auckland) for Kent at 38 miles, to catch but none came closer than 2min. But after 80 miles Dean was at the head of the bunch, never attacking, and keeping a hard, consistent pace. For the second-last lap. Dean’s New Plymouth clubmate. D. R. Brown, and Beeston, were other prominent figures, and Ritchie Thomson shared the hard work with Dean in the last lap but they were relatively unsuccessful in reducing the size of the bunch. Only B. G. Bate (W.C.N. 1.). who was dropped, and the unfortunate Hogan, who hod a wheel collapse, wore casualties of the last 20 miles. When it came to the sprint. Kent led out but faded quickly, and Beeston lost his chance by trying two courses to come round Dean. At the finish, he oassed Dean soon after the line. Broome was a length or two back, a little disgusted that I he should finish so fresh and not win, and Des Thomson was close up sixth, behind his elder brother and Grace. Des Thomson’s performance, of participating in an 86-mile, two-man breakaway, and still finishing

sixth in a sprint of 14, was one of great credit.

Fine Tima Possibly the most remarkable figures to- emerge from such a satisfactory trial were returned, again, by Hogan and Thomson. They went through the 100 kilometres mark in about 2hr 9min, a timo which would have been good enough to win the four-man teams’ event at the Mexico Little Olympics. The convener of the national selection panel (Mr D. B. Smith) last week asked for fast times to help assure the ultimate selection of a 100-kilos team as

well as a road ace group. He must have been satisfied. Results: Olympic trial, 120.? miles: J. A. Dean (W.C.N.1.) 1, B. W. Beeston 2, J. W. Broome 3. R. D. Thomson 4, M. W. Grace (all Auckland) 5, D. R. Thomson (Wellington) 6, B. R. Cornish (Wellington) 7, H. Weller 8. S. J. Stephen 9, C. Hibberd (all Auckland) 10, D. R. Brown (W.C.N. 1.) 11, H. D. Kent (Wellington) 12. I. J. Anderson 13, B. Biddle (both Auckland) 14. B. G. Bate (W.C.N.1.) 15. R. J. Hogan (Canterbury) 18. Time. 4hr 35min s.7sec.