Blenheim cyclist dies

Press, 6 April 1989, Page 29

Blenheim cyclist dies

The death of a Blenheim cyclist, David Duff, after an accident during a training ride on Monday, has come as a shock to the New Zealand cycling fraternity.

Duff is believed to have pulled his foot from his pedal and fallen off his bicycle, on to his head. He was taken to Wellington Public Hospital with head injuries and died early yesterday. Duff, aged 19, was probably best remembered for his cycling as a junior in 1986 and 1987. He specialised in track cycling and performed particularly well in the individual pursuit and points races.

Duff’s rise to prominence began with his victory in the New Zealand secondary schools points championship race at Manfeild in 1987.

At the track national championships in Te Awamutu that year he was third in the points race and second in the individual pursuit to Canter-

bury’s Jason Smith. Those results gave Duff the ticket to represent New Zealand at the Oceania cycling championships in New Caledonia later that year. He performed above expectation, finishing in the medals in the junior individual pursuit and winning the junior points race with a ride many describe as "awesome.”

Duff finished second in the New Zealand senior points championship at the 1988 track championships in Wanganui and was a member of the Nelson-Marlborough team that finished third in the teams’ time trial at the 1988

road championships in Dunedin. The team also included Greg Fraine, Kevin Bishell and Kelvin Gordon.

Duff perhaps saved one of his best performances for this season when he beat an Olympic rider, Brian Fowler, to win January’s Marlborough Criterium. He followed that performance with a second

placing behind Christchurch’s Chris Nicholson in the Nelson Criterium around Nelson’s cathedral. His Nelson-Marlborough team member and Olympic cyclist, Fraine, described Duff as one of his toughest competitors within the centre. "He was a tenacious type of guy — really tough,” said

Fraine. “You couldn’t give him an inch. He was my toughest competitor. “It's a real shame to lose someone like him. He was a bit of a loner but everyone had a lot of respect for him as a bike rider.”

The centre president, Barry Newport, paid tribute to Duff’s reputation as a hard trainer and to his total dedi-

cation. He recalled an incident in 1987 when Duff was holidaying in Picton but cycled the 28km back to Blenheim on his 10-speed to compete in the Nelson-Marl-borough track championships.