Mauger's little black book

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32701, 2 September 1971, Page 11

Mauger's little black book

'THE brilliant. New Zealai speedway rider, Iv< Mauger, will be attemptii to become the first to w four successive world char pionships when he lines t against the sport’s fine competitors at Gothenber Sweden, on September 1 And on his form so far th year, he must be favours to do so. He recently added tl European crown to the Br tish championship and Br tish-Nordic title he has wc this season. But in th European event he was clos to defeat when the talente Dane, O. Olsen, defeate him in a heat. Olsen ha only to win his final rac and the title would ha\ been his but when he wt out in front mechanici troubles forced him to n tire. Before last year’s worl championship final, the lik< able Dane sent Mauger telegram. It read: "Yo can have the title this tim but I want it in 1971.” This latest performanc by Olsen certainly indicate that he meant what he sai< He is the rider Mauge must beat to win his fourth successive title. But the New Zealander i never better than when un der pressure. He rides witl almost mechanical preci sion and always consider lis opponents carefully be ore venturing on to thi track. When he was a “rookie' o British league racing Hauger made a list of rider le considered were keep ng him out of the work championship. One by om hey were beaten in fail combat and they were sys ematically struck off th( ist in his little black book Today he can throw the book at the world. There is

nd nobody left to beat. But an w hat is the real secret of ng the man beneath the j n crown? The answer is simple—- ,_ real dedication. He has real Ji professionalism and an intense belief in himself that ?• he is best. Ivan Mauger .*• hates to lose. And as well u ® as his undoubted skill, he has a superb temperament for the big time. Before the 1969 final at Wembley, n- there was a minor crisis ri- when the defending charn>n pion was nowhere to be ie found until someone looked se in the dressing room and >d found him curled up asleep. >d His views are forthright. I( j “I know some riders go too ;e fast for their own good when they race me,” he Js says without a trace of . vanity. “Some I can trust . to hold their line. Others e ' are prepared to mix it and .. only understand a good “ shove going into the first e ' bend. So I give them one.” Understandably, like .. every champion, Mauger is a man against the world. He defends a reputation second to none. And he is a man ** who knows that someone, -*■ somewhere, has a little black book—with his name “ in it. That man could well be Ole Olsen.