Australian ‘Bear’ provides thrills in Games 1000 m time trial

Press, 30 January 1981, Page 3

Australian ‘Bear’ provides thrills in Games 1000 m time trial

PA Wellington, His team-mates call him! “Bear” because they reckon] he hibernates (sleeps all! day) and eats lots of honey, I He is the slick Australian; sprinter. Kenrick Tucker, the. winner of the first final de-i cided at the New Zealand] Games cycling at the Ha-] taitai Velodrome yesterday. ] Tucker mastered windy conditions and a “bumpy”] track to win the kilometre time trial. The 21-year-old Tucker and his team-mates were ecstatic immediately after his Imin 8.87 ride, with top

■ seeds Gary Sadler (Great Britain) and Anthony Cuff |(New Zealand) still to comIpete. ] Earlier the New Zealand ]coach,- Mr "Chick” Ratten, had predicted that a ride of ] under 1.09 would be enough ]to win in the conditions. ] Sadler and Cuff could not 'get near Tucker’s time. Secjond place went to the American, Brent Emery (1.10.03), and third to New Zealand’s Michael Richards (1.10.42). The • Commonwealth Games sprint champion, Tucker said he had been

11 aiming for a time of about fl 1.9 but “wasn’t too sure it ■ Iwould be good enough.” He usually rides 1.6 — 1.7. I He said he “hates the , wind” and it doesn’t blow P back "home in Queensland I! as it did in Wellington (yesterday. But when he’s II riding, the wind doesn’t ■ ibother him, he said. »! Tucker had a clear advantage over the field, including Lone of the top favourites, iiCuff. ] Cuff rode 1.11.28 nowhere i near his New Zealand mark , I of 1.6.1. “Cuffy didn’t peril form his best,” said Tucker.

t The Palmerston North, i plumber said he was “flat” ? during the ride, “It was my worst kilo in three years. ;]You either go good on the ■'day or you don’t. I rode a] 1; donkey’s race today,” he I isaid. ; Concentrating on achiev-' jing a time of 1.9, Cuff said; (he just couldn’t get near it; -ion the day. He said he may] J have had too hard a ride ini: 3 the morning’s 4000 m individ-] iual pursuit, “but I didn’t!; ‘ think it took that much out | of me.” | Reluctant to make any ex-

icuses, he did admit his gear] (91.8 in had been too high. ; “After Michael Richards; came off the track he said; he had too big a gear on.; Mine was the same but it! (was too late then,” said] (Cuff, who rode five men later than the third-placed Richards. The windy conditions were (the "same for everyone,’’; isaid Cuff. ; ] Of Tucker, who said his ( I gear had been a lower’ 91.3 in. Cuff remarked:] “There’s no taking it away! from ‘Tuck.’ He's a great] rider.”