Litolff still has ‘class’

Press, 18 January 1979, Page 4

Litolff still has ‘class’

By RAY CAIRNS

"Class will always come through” was a comment often offered by Don Litolff in pride and praise of his y.unger brother, Mick. And though now 31, Mick Litolff showed at English Park that a little of that class is still there, when h. won yet another 8000 m scratch race.

And Litolff had to do it th. hard way, for he was m a little break that had been plodding away for two or three laps. But when th.- challenges came from Tony Strang and Ivan Steele, th. latter being carted through beautifully, Litolff—forced to lead out—still had an answer and held on vary well to snatch a doserved victory. Nor was that Litoiff’s enly taste of success, for he had earlier adopted a front-running position in the “Devil take th. hindmost” and won that as wall The flrat full-scale series «t team pursuits brought the senior A team its expected victory against the shadow top juniors, though the margin was rather more than expected. Th. elater race, however, was that between the B teams, full laps near th. finish by Gavin Sutherland »nd John Hughes bringing the junl.r. victory. Both sets of sprints were shorn of a lot of class with the team pursuiters being rested, although there was a keen enough tussle between Ron Richdale and th. fast-finishing J.hn Delore. Th. best effort ef the n.vle. events came fr.m Craig Adair tn the 4000 m. After chasing *U the early breaks, Adair had enough strength left to lead .ut for th. last 500 m and still hold off the well-positioned Vaughan Harvey and th. fast-finishing Brian Fowler. Results:

AMATEUR Scratch.—B grade 2060 m: A. P. Fuller 1, P. Hopping 2, J. THughes 3. Time, 2:44.3. A grad. “Devil take the hindmost’”: M. W. Litolff 1, K. W. Reid 2, L. ASword 3. Open 8000 m: Litolff I, A. J. Strang 2, I. R. Steele 3. Time, 11:4.8. B grade 3200 points race: Fuller 15, 1; Sanders, 11, 2; Degarnham, 7, 3. Time, 4:33,7. 500 m sprints.—R. Richdal. beat Degarnham and M. Sanders, 14.1 J. F. Delore best P. James and Sword, 14.3. Richdale beat DMort, 14.4. 4WOm team pursuit*.—Sewit* No. 1 (Retd, Litolff, F. M. Seheap veld, T. R. Horne), sri».O, but Junior No. 1 M Steele, A. J. Strang, A. M. Duder. T. P. Gyde), sill Junior No. 2 (8. F. Bur don, Hugh.a, G. Sutherland) *■ Kircher:, 5:37.1, beat Senior N«. 2 (B, E. Tall. I. Steel, Sword. Degarnham), 5:37.7. Handicap— A gr.de 2460 m: M. F. Nichols (165 m 1, Sword ilSSmi 2, Burdon (85m) 3. Time. 2:7.8 B grade 406 m: C. A. P. Deller (45m* I, N. Hazlett <4oBb 2, D. R. Johnsen (45m) 3. Time, 30.2 A grad. 800 m: I. Steele (70m) 1, Tall («Osa) 3, Nichols (35mi 3. Tim., 57-t

NOVICE Scratch.—A grade 1606 m: C R. Adair 1, B. P. Gyde 2, V. R. Harvey 3. Time, 1:25.8. B grade 2600 m: A. van Duiven 1, C. P. Nichols 2, G. Schist 3. Time, 3:13.3. A grade 4006 m: Adair 1, B. Fowler 2, Harvey 8 Time. 5:44.6.

500 m sprints—W. Stenning beat B. Begot and P. Turnbull, 14.7. S. Batchelor beat M. Childs, 143. Stenning beat Batchelor. Italian pursuit.—Fowler, Har'■*y. S. C Weeds, D. Patterson, 2:4,8, beat Adair, Gyde, W. T. I. Rastrick, L. Ryder, 2:3.7. Handicap.—B grade 400 m: A. van Duiven (sm) 1, D. Kircher (45m) 2, G. Schist (10m> 3. Time, 33 8. A grade 406 m: Bagot ’4omi 1, Pattersen (36m) 2, Childs 'Sent) 3. Time, 20) B grade 1800 m: M. Robertson (scr.) 1, C. P. Nichols *..vea Duiven (ser.) 3. Time, 2:22.1.