Stockwell may be better than Tabak

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31841, 20 November 1968, Page 15

Stockwell may be better than Tabak

AVHEN the cycling record ’ of the 18-year-old, B. G. Stockwell, is compared with the feats of the brilliant T. J. Tabak at the same age, Stockwell has a slight lead but he will have a difficult task to emulate Tabak in the future. At this stage, their records are remarkably parallel, but whereas Tabak accomplished his greatest deeds on the road. Stockwell may make his name as a pursuit rider. It can be argued that for Stockwell to equal Tabak’s performances is expecting the impossible, but Stockwell’s intelligence and impressive achievements already suggest that he could go even further. On Saturday Stockwell won the Canterbury 100mile road championship and he became the first rider to win- the bi®’ junior and senior titlew His win was

tailor-made for him because he is a good sprinter and the lack of action over the last 20 miles did not drain him for the finish. His chances of success rested on how fast the race was in the latter stages and when no breaks were made Stockwell’s chances improved greatly. At the national track championships at Invercargill in February Stockwell had tfye misfortune to puncture in the final of the senior 4000 metres individual pursuit against A. G. Ineson (Southland) when 4sec down. He made a mighty effort in the restarted race over the last four laps but could only gain 2.7 sec. A year earlier in Auckland, Stockwell won the junior national pursuit title. At thist&stage Tabak did t

not have a national junior pursuit title or a Canterbury 100-mile road championship but as a 19-year-old Tabak was second in the Canterbury race before going on to win the national 100-mile title. It was then that Tabak blossomed and won a New Zealand pursuit title and set up the awesome record of winning the Dulux six-day, the Southland three-day and the tour of Manawatu in the same year. Tabak was the first to do this and then he proceeded to repeat the performance the next year—a feat unlikely to be repeated. Stockwell will be competing in his first Southland tour at the end of this week and a week later will start in the national 100-mile road race in Invercargill. He will have his chance to win these events a year earlier

than Tabak but even if he does not, he has another opportunity next year when he will certainly be much wiser. He was third in the Manawatu tour in October and he impressed with his intelligent riding on the final stage to lift himself from fifth to third on the over-all classification. It is yet to be seen whether Stockw'ell can produce the aggressive racing style of Tabak but at the moment it seems that consistent endeavour and his ability to read a race could make up for this. With more experience an attacking flair will no doubt come. In March, Stockwell recorded smin 12.8 sec for the 4000 metres pursuit in unfavourable conditions. This is only o.Bsec outside the national junior record and

he will have many opportunities to improve on this. He is almost certain to set his sights on taking the national pursuit title this summer and if so his chances of going to Edinburgh in 1970 will be bright.

The speed and stamina required in the pursuit goes hand-in-hand with the qualifications for a road rider. He will be able to develop one for the benefit of the other and if the New Zealand association can be convinced that there are track riders of considerable ability in the country his future as a pursuit rider is assured.

Although a resolute per-j former, Stockwell has the ability to relax and this I quality should stand him in i good stead for the rigours of the nekt fortnight.