Bicycle Theft

Robbed Cycling

Of Interest

The theft of a bicycle from one of the four New Hebridean

competitors half-way through the

cycling programme reduced in terest in the Games cycling events.

CYCLING, which had not been staged in Suva, attracted entries from the three French territories— New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna—plus the Anglo-French New Hebrides.

When the New Hebridean entrant lost his bicycle, and no replacement could be provided, the number of competing territories was reduced to three.

As had been expected, the New Caledonians dominated the cycling events, winning five of the six gold medals. The one they missed was the shortest—the 1,000-metres sprint —which was won by M. Bopp-Du Pont, of French Polynesia.

Cycling was the first snort on the Games programme for which a gold medal was awarded (New Caledonia,

appropriately, won it), and the first in which the competitors were in volved in an incident.

The incident occurred in the second event on the opening night—an individual pursuit over four kilo metres, or 12 laps of the velodrome.

Daniel Cornaille, of New Cale donia, appeared to be an easy winner in this event from Alfred Van Bastolaer, of French Polynesia. But when the times were checked, Van Bastolaer discovered that, through an official error, the race had ended one lap short, and he lodged a protest.

Meanwhile, three Games hostesses had entered the arena with a gold medal for Cornaille and a silver and bronze for the runners-up, and the band was all set to play a victory Marseillaise.

The crowd hooted angrily when an official announced that, following Van Bastolaer’s protest, the race had been annulled and that it would be re-run the following night.

It seemed a bad omen for the efficient running of the Games, but, in fact, it turned out to be the only serious blunder of its kind.

In the re-run, Cornaille again showed that he was a much faster cyclist than Van Bastolaer and re ceived his gold medal.

Van Bastolaer, for his part, was hooted off the track bv the strongly partisan crowd which had been admitted to the re-run free.

Robbie Morgan- Morris, of Nauru, and a Games official (left) help Fiji's U.

Sotutu to his feet at the end of the 10,000 metres race.

Sotutu, who finished second, had col lapsed over the finishing line behind Morgan-Morris. The Nauru runner had clipped about minutes off the Suva record.

Photo: "Noumea Sports".