Cycling to Wellington

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32525, 8 February 1971, Page 10

Cycling to Wellington

Wellington on Saturday at Denton Park triumphed in the first inter-provincial cycling meeting with Canterbury. But a mistake and a misfortune cost Canterbury an equal share of the honours.

The misfortune was in the ride of the pursuit champion, B. G. Stockwell, in his 2000 metres against B. Ulyatt. Stockwell pulled his foot out of the toe-clip at the start and after riding two or three laps with this handicap, withdrew.

The mistake was by J. P. Mullan, in the flying quartermile time trial series. Each rider was given two laps rolling start, but Mullan rode three, and his time of 25.65ec, which equalled the Canterbury record, and was the second best, was not considered towards the points total. Canterbury could have appealed against this decision with success, however, as Mullan was not timed on his extra lap, and was not given the gun to start. Very predictably, the Commonwealth Games champion, H. D. Kent, provided the high spot of the televised afterioon when he broke the New Zealand resident record in the flying quarter-mile.

Hie time of 24.65ec wu well within the recognised time of 25.35ec, set by M. F. Vertongen, although there was a suggestion that N. R. Lyster did 24.85»c last year. Regardless. Kent's time is weU within both, and on a less windy day. he would certainly have taken G. L. Johnson’s alt comer's record of 24.1eec. Mora mlsfortunate was heaped upon Canterbury tn the one-mite scratch race. P. D. Brydon, who showed he was fast returning to form after an Ulneas, Bashed through the inside at great speed to snatch second place right cat the line, but was disqualified for riding below the pole-line. The event in which Canterbury could take greatest sstlsfaction was the 4000-metres team pursuit The time of Smln S.tsec was quite good In the conditions, but more impressive was the smooth changing, team-work and steadiness of the local quartet

Canterbury will again be favoured to win thia event at the national championships. Wallington, although without J. A. Dean, because of a family bereavement, was most unlmEresslve as a pursuit team, yster was mainly at fault, sprinting through too sharply In his laps, and as a consequence, shaking off B. Ulyatt after only five and a half laps. Kent went off then, too, and was mildly disgusted with Lyster afterwards. "I called to him twice to wait, but he didn’t, so I stopped racing,’’ said Kent. "You either ride team pursuits properly, or not at aIL” The five-mile scratch race, which concluded the meeting, was a real test of strength. Canterbury went into it needing four of the first six placlngs for victory. These were duly gained, but Wellington won first and second places, through Lyster and D. F. Palatchle, and thus Increased Its lead by two. The field was decimated, however, by the sustained aggression from Stockwell and R. J. Hood, especially, and Mullan, and there was the sight of such riders as even the mighty Kent, D. A. Swanston and M. W. Lltolff being dropped and pulling out. Even so, Canterbury was In a very healthy position at the bell with Stockwell leading out Brydon and Mullan, two very fine sprinters. Lyster and Palatchle were there too, however, and after the rather easier ride they had had, came round the Canterbury trio with ISO yards to ride ano won with ease. Brydon had again ridden a very shrewd race and showed his usual facility for picking up the right wheel. He went after Lysters wheel right from the start, and rarely left It, and his judgment was borne out when the Wellington rider won. Still recovering from the weakening effects of tonsllitis. Brydon did not have much left at the finish but still took third and was the first Canterbury rider to finish Wellington eventually finished with 311 points to Canterbury’s 24). But for Mullan’s disqualification and Stockwell’s misfortune, the teams would have finished level on 28J points, which would have been a fair reflection of their strengths. Results:—

4000-metres team pursuit: Canterbury (B. G. Stoekwell, M. W. Lltolff, J. P. Mullan, A. J. Hood), 5:5.4, beat Wellington (N. R. Lyster, H. D. Kent, D. F. Palatchle, B. Ulyatt), s:t9fi. One mile scratch: C. Davis (W.) 1, J. Matthews (W.) 2, D. A. Swanston (C.) 3. Time, 2:13.5. SOO-metres sprints: Palatchle beat R. E. Knight. 13.9, J. Matthews beat P. D. Brydon, 13.5. Swanston beat Davis. 13.1. L. M. Vette (C.) beat P. Matthews, 13.fi.

Hyinc quartor-mlla time trials: Kent, 24S (Naw Zealand resident record), 1; Lltolff and Lyster, 25.9, (equal)* 2; MuUan. 25. i (equals Canterbury cecora), disqualified. 2000-metres Individual pursuit: Ulyatt, 2:47, beat Stockwell, withdrew. Hood, 2:0, beat R. Oliver, 2:42.3. Flve-mlle scratch: Lyster 1, Palatchle 2, Brydon 3, Mullan 4, Stockwell 5, Hood 0. Time, 10:53.9. Other results: — Amateur Scratch. "Hornby Trust” 2uarter-mlle Derby—First seminal: Swanston 1, Knight 2, Davis 3. Time, 29.fi. Second semi-final: Kent 1, Litolff 2, Mullan 3. Time, 30.9. Final: Kent 1, Swanston ?, MuUan 3. Time, 29.2. Onc-mile station pursuit: R. Heyde, 2:8.9, beat A. H. A. Stallman, P. L. PavleU and K. F. Radbumd. A grade three-mile Joints race: Radbumd, 17, 1; C. . Tabak. 14. 2; PavleU, 10, 3. Time, 6:42.5. B grade one-mUe: Stallman 1, J. F. Delore 2, P. T. Radbumd 3. Time, 2:17.8. A grade Devil take the hindmost: M. D. Payne L G. A. Smith 2, Stallman 3. Time, 3:49.8. B grade Devil take the hindmost: Delore L K. F. Radbumd 2, Tabak 3. Time, 2:14. Handlc».—One-mUe: Stallman (scr) 1, K? F. Radbumd 2, P. T. Radbumd 3. Time, 2:9.5. Novice

Handicap.—A grade quartermile: J. H. Sullivan (scr) 1, W. Palatchle (scr) 2, G. P. Sword (25yd) 3. Time, 30.9. B grade haU-mUe: A. Bruce (15yd) 1, S. White (30yd) 2, B. G. Radbumd (10yd) 3. Time, 17.1. Open halfmite: I. Stace (75yd) 1, L. McMUlin (80yd) 2, R. Amtman (85yd) 3. Time, 62.5. Two-mUe groupings: White (300 yd 1, Sullivan (scr) 2, P. C. Court (scr) 3. Time, 4:44.