'Up to them’ — Lyster

Press, 20 September 1978, Page 34

'Up to them’ — Lyster

The New Zealand Commonwealth Games team captain, Neil Lyster, has no plans for retirement. The veteran of two Olympic Games, for whom Edmonton represented his first appearance at a Commonwealth Games, will be 31 in November and there have been persistent murmurings that his competitive career is coming to an end.

“At this stage, I think it could be said that I will pull out when there is someone good to take my place in the pursuit team. I have always had the hard job of winning a place; now it is up to someone to relieve me of it,” said Lyster yesterday. “I would hope that some younger guys do show up, too, because there is not the depth there should be.”

Lyster has had a strange and chequered career at or

near the top of New Zealand cycling. Regarded as the outstanding team time-trial rider in New Zealand in 1968, Lyster went to the Mexico Olympics specifically for the 100 km event. As it happened, an earlier illness had affected his form, and he did not ride at all.

Then he was nominated but rejected for the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games in 1970, leaving New Zealand short of a 10-miler and a road rider.

Finally, he won an actual riding place at Munich in 1972. in the pursuit team which set a New Zealand record over 4000 m; but Lyster failed to retain that place for the Christchurch Commonwealth Games two years later. He was in virtual retirement for the Montreal Olympics two years ago — but still travelled, this time as cycling sectional manager. Now his returns have Come at the age of 30: a silver medal in the team pursuit, and a New Zealand and Commonwealth record at the world championships in Munich last month.