NATIONAL CYCLING TITLES Joy and disappointment in Canterbury victory

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32554, 13 March 1971, Page 18

NATIONAL CYCLING TITLES Joy and disappointment in Canterbury victory

(From our cycling reporter)

MARTON.

There was elation and bitter disappointment among the youngest members of the Canterbury track cycling team at the national championships yesterday.

P. C. Court, a 15-year-old from Rangiora, competing in his first New Zealand titles, won superbly the boys’ onemile, but in the same race his team-mate, and the race favourite, J. H. Sullivan, crashed after half the distance.

He landed relatively lightly, but insult was added to his pains when the meeting organisers rushed through the events and he missed his heat of the quarter-mile. This would have been bad enough, but to hear remarks such as “Hurry, Sullivan’s not here,” rankled too much of a desire to win at any cost.

EASIER TO TAKE Sullivan’s disappointment —there were his last track championships before he

moves into amateur ranks—was comforted by Court’s extremely fine win.

“It makes it so much easier to take,” he said, as Court crossed the line and won by half a wheel. Court’s fine positioning gained him this most important victory of his three-year career. A. Gardiner (Southland) led at the bell, with his team-mate, J. Thurlow, on his wheel, and Court following. Thurlow closed the gap for Court, and the lean Canterbury boy went round the outside entering the straight and fought on well as Gardiner rode an unsteady course through the middle. FAIT AUCKLAND RIDER In the other scratch race final, the junior flve-mlle. Canterbury did not match Court's success. This event was won by the extraordinarily fast P. Medhurst (Auckland), who rode away from a high-quality field at the 200metre mark and finished as though he had no opposition. P. L. Pavlell, still the best Canterbury hope in spite of C. J. Tabak s heat win, was all but at the rear of the field, but he took the inside course and forced himself up to a creditable fifth. Tabak was seventh. , Undoubtedly the most impressive Canterbury win was the sprint quarter-mile victory by J. P. Mullan. It was not just that Mullan won his way through to the semi-finals which no-one would have thought at all likely —but to progress so far he beat the country’s outstanding sprinter of the last three years, B. W. Preston (West Coast-North Island).

Preston held the early lead without much dispute from Mullan, but the Canterbury' rider was excellently placed at the bell, passed Preston in the straight, and survived another challenge from the reigning champion. BEATEN BY OLD RIVAL M. W. Litolff, however, went out to a perennial rival, M. F. Vertongen (W.C.N.1.). Like Mullan, he let the North Islander set the pace, but Litolff was unable to get past Vertongen. H. D. Kent (Wellington) predictably won his way through, and he will be Mullan’s opponent in the semi-finals. Vertongen will meet J. A. Dean, also of Wellington, who is riding with great power. Similarly, in the junior grade Canterbury is represented in the last four by R. E. Knight, who won with a cunning born of a long involvement in the sport. The very quick J. F. Matthews was his opponent and the Wellington rider did all he could to keep Knight at the back. But as Matthews looked over his right shoulder at the 200-metre mark, Knight went through on his left, and the race was over. Knight will now meet the strong Wellington rider, C. Davis, which Is not at all a bad draw for the Canterbury junior. The other semi-final is between Medhurst and M. Fablsh (W.C.N.1.).

IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY Yet another young Canterbury rider, A. H. A. Stollman, greatly impressed for his efforts in the open individual pursuit. Stollman is just 16, not 17 as originally thought, and it is astonishing that he could have won his way into the last four of a national field. But today, he will meet the perennial national champion, B. G. Stockwell, who had a soft ride against his Canterbury team-mate. A. J. Hood.

Canterbury looks assured of medals in the team events. The tandem pair, L. M. Vette and G. J. Duncan, already have a medal as the Aucklanders they heat, N. F. Joyce and F. Clavis, withdrew from the remainder of the event, which left just three pairs. And if the draw is kind, Vette and Duncan could even get into the final on a ride-over. PURSUIT PROSPECTS Although the junior pursuit team was only second fastest qualifier, both it and the seniors maintained the high ranking Canterbury has in the four-man event The seniors, powered by Stock-

well but riding as smoothly as a well co-ordinated machine, overwhelmed the West CoastNorth Island team and rode just a fraction over smin in blustery

’ The juniors were well satisfied I with their smin lOJsec. two seconds slower than Wellington, as it came soon after Stollman’s > pursuit event. He and R. M. . Heyde are the acknowledged . strong men of the team. Canterbury, for what could be • the first time, leads in the points ; shield going into the final day, . with eight points to West CoastNorth Island seven and the fives ■ of Auckland and Wellington. Abbreviations used in resuts: West Coast-North Island (W.C.), ’ Auckland (A.), Welington (W.), • Southland (S.), Canterbury (C.), t East Coast-North Island (E.C.), , Waikato (Walk.), Otago (O.). J OPEN 400 metres individual pursuit Quarter-finals.—B. Stockwel (C.), 5:39.4 beat A. Hood (C.)» , 5:44; J. Dean (W.), 5:28.4, beat A. r Kingsford (A.), 5:37.5; B. White . (A.), 5:26.8, beat W. Adams (S 3 ■ 5:32.5; A. Stollman (C.), 5:28.4, I beat R. Davies (W.), 5.30.4. ! 1000 metres tandem ; Quarter-finals.—P. Cox and E. Chang (W.C.) beat N. Joyce and , F. Clavis (A.). Time over the last 200 metres, 12.5; P. Medhurst t and P. Harland (A.), 12.0; L. . Vette and G. Duncan (C.), 12.4. [ CHANGE—JOY 4 SENIOR 500 metres sprint ■ Winners to quarter-final.—H. • Kent (W.) beat F. Clavis (A.), t 14.7; B. Preston (W.C.) beat P. ’ Mathews (W.), 12.9; R. Nant 5 (W.C.) beat S. Russell (Walk.). ’ 14.5; M. Vertongen (W.C.) beat K. McComb (Walk.), 14.6; M. J Litolff (C.) beat D. Palatchie (W.), ’ 13.6; J. Dean (W.) beat L. Vette 1 (C.), 14.0; P. Harland (A.) beat . M. Collins (W.C.), 13.4; J. Mullan . (C.) beat N. Joyce (A.), 12.9. Winners to semi-final.—Mullan » beat Preston, 12.9; Dean beat ' Nant, 12.3; Kent beat Harland, r 12.9; Vertongen beat Litolff, 13.0. I 4000 metres teams' pursuit Fastest four to semi-finals. — Wellington (N. Lyster, D. Palatt chie, P. Mathews, R. Oliveri, . 5:6.4, beat Southland, 5:12.8; Can- . terbury (B. Stockwell, A. Hood, r P. Brydon, R. Anderson), 5:0.6, - beat West Coast-North Island, 5:3.4; Auckland (B. White, J. - Biddle, R. Hogan, J. Atkinson), 1 i JUNIOR 500 metres sprint Winners to quarter-finals.—P. » i Medhurst (A.)beat J. Schriek ; (C.), 12.9; J. Thurlow (S.) beat j R. Ward (W.C.), 12.02; B. Me- , Auley (W.C.) beat T. Young S.), 12.7; C. Davis (W.) beat W. Tay s lor (A.), 13.5; C. Kingsford (A.) . beat J. Wilkinson (O.), 12.0; M. j Fabish (W.C.) beat B. Morrell 5 (Walk.), 12.7; P. Matthews (W.) t beat E. Barker (S.)» 13.1; R. , Knight (C.) beat R. Blaylock (W.), , 14.5. Winners to semi-finals.—Med-J hurst beat Kingsford, 12.8; Fa- > bish beat Thurlow, 13.5; Davis ’ beat McAuley, 13.0; Knight beat - Mathes, 14.1. Five-mile Final.—P. Medhurst (A.) 1, B. McAuley (W.C.) 2, T. Young (S.) , 3, D. Hollows (W.C.) 4. Time, ! 11:20. 4000 metres team’s pursuit . | All four qualify for semi- . finals. —West Coast-North Island , (D. Hollows, J. MsDonnell, C. ; Lyon, B. McAuley), 5:19, beat Auckland (R. Avery, D. Chart- [ eris, M. Winters. S. Hill), 5:44.1; 1 Wellington (B. Ullyatt, R. Blay. . lock, D. Win, K. Marshall), ■ 5:8.9, beat Canterbun' (L. Paviell, R. Heyde, A. Stollman, r C. Tabak), 5:10.8. BOYS i One mile , Final.—P. Court (C.) 1, R. Knuckey (W.C.) 2, A. Gardiner • (S.) 3. Time: 2:16.2. Quarter-mile First two in each heat to semi--1 finals.—P. Marinovich (W.C.) 1, G. Winters (A.) 2. Time: 31.5. G. Palatchie (W.) 1, T. Watson (W.C.) 2. Time: 30.6. W. Howes (C.) 1, G. Cox (W.C.) 2. Time: i 31.8. R. Knuckey (W.C.) 1, R. ' Stewart (Walk.) 2. Time: 31.2. J. i Thurlow (S.) 1, G. Ducey (Waik.2. Time: 31.2. M. Draper (A.) 1, P. Court (C.) 2. Time: 30.1.