Anderson picks up second cycle medal

Press, 31 July 1986, Page 26

Anderson picks up second cycle medal

From

JANE DAVIDSON,

in Edinburgh

The Wanganui cyclist, Gary Anderson, yesterday continued in his role as New Zealand’s key track rider when he picked up his second medal — a bronze in the 4000 m individual pursuit, at the Meadowbank velodrome.

Anderson, aged 18, had already won a silver medal in the kilometre time trial, and yesterday in shockingly cold, damp weather he outclassed an English rider, Rob Muzio, in the ride-off for third and fourth placings. The gold medal went as expected to Australia’s Commonwealth record holder, Dean Woods, who beat Colin Sturgess, aged 17, of England in a rideover in the final. That meant Woods was not

given a time for the distance. In a previous session yesterday, Sturgess just pipped Anderson in the final half lap to deprive the New Zealander of a

place in the final. Anderson was given a final call of one metre up by his coach, Ron Cheatley, and narrowly failed to keep the winning advantage. After his medal winning ride of 4mln 51.075, which was delayed because of rain, Anderson said he would like to have been able to have ridden against Sturgess in the semi-final when it as originally scheduled, instead of having to wait a

day because of yet more bad weather. “He (Sturgess) has got a great future in front of him — he produces a huge finish. It would’ve been good to have had a

crack when he was perhaps a bit tired,” Anderson said. Anderson’s priority now is the world championships in Colorado soon after the Games, but he is realistic enough to know that Woods is too classy for him. However, as Mr Cheatley pointed out, Anderson has a big future, too, as he is doing better times now, at 18, than Woods was doing at the same age.

Anderson aside, the New Zealanders did not have a good day. The Christchurch rider, William Rastrick, who had looked by far the sharpest of the team’s speedsters,

got no further than his matching against Eddie Alexander, of Scotland, in the quarter-finals of the sprints. Rastrick crashed before the start of the sprint proper, and though he continued he was jaded and lost to the Scot in straight rides. Michael Mcßedmond, who had ridden a 10.9 s sprint in training in the United States, was lacking in pace at Meadowbank, failing to go under 12s.

He lost his quarter-final to the Australian, Gary Neiwand, who is through to the last four with Alex Ongaro (Canada), Paul McHugh (England) and Alexander.