SUSPENDED CYCLIST

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 32, 1 November 1932, Page 13

SUSPENDED CYCLIST

Auckland Rider’s Position REVIEW OF HIS CASE Several communications concerning the Auckland amateur cyclist L. Dwight were before the New Zealand Cycling Council at its meeting last evening. The principal one was the application made by Dwight a few days before the recent Palmerston North-Wellington road cycling race to have his suspension lifted iu order that he might take part in the event. The council allowed the suspension to remain in force, however, and decided to forward to the Auckland centre for its comments a letter which was written by the marshall of. the Palmerston race with regard to Dwight's conduct at the start. "Under a Misapprehension.” Dwight was suspended by the council at last month’s meeting for having taken part in the unregistered “Round-the-Gorges” race at Christchurch, aud the suspension applied therefore to the subsequent Palmerston-Wellington event. Dwight made the trip to Palmerston, however, and there was some trouble at the start when lie attempted to leave with the scratch men. In his application made previously for the lifting of his suspension he said that he had taken part in the Christchurch race “under a misapprehension.” He said that three members of the New Zealand Cycling Federation had told him that it would be constitutional for him to participate. One of the three he named had said since in a letter to the secretary of the council that he had told Dwight before the race that he could not compete without risking suspension. More serious, however, from Dwight’s point of view was the letter from the marshall of the Palmerston race which had been forwarded by the Wellington Cycling Centre. This letter described Dwight’s conduct at the. start and alleged that Dwight had said to the marshall that he would “knock his head off.” Mr. H. I. Austad, chairman of last evening’s meeting, said that without taking the marshall’s letter into consideration there was quite enough evidence to warrant the council’s refusing for the time being to lift Dwight’s suspension. Mr. H. D. Bennett agreed and suggested that the marshall’s letter should be referred to the Auckland centre for its comment. The council agreed to this, and further consideration was held over until Dwight has had the opportunity of making an explanation. Wellington Centre. Some comments were made also by Messrs. J. McConchic and J. Stalker on the Wellington Cycling Centre, which was described by both of . them as “a joke.” Mr. McConchie said that there were “a few Bolsheviks” on the centre, and Mr. Stalker said that he was “getting sick of it.” Mr. Austad remarked that there always seemed to.be someone who would “throw a spanner into the works.” They had passed through a very important year in the history of cycling, he said, and had formulated a system which they believed would he in the best interests of the boys. It was up to the hoys to play nn to the spirit of that agreement so that cycling might go ahead.