We're sorry, bike stars tell teammate

Marc Ryan

Embattled Commonwealth Games cyclist Marc Ryan yesterday revealed he and fellow cyclist Tim Gudsell had apologised to a female teammate - even as New Zealand team bosses maintain there was nothing in an incident inside the Games Village.

Speaking publicly for the first time, Ryan told the Herald on Sunday he had been left shocked and unhappy about the furore.

Cycling bosses are understood to be planning their own investigation into the incident and Ryan said he was unsure of the likely outcome.

Recuperating at his family's Timaru home, Ryan said Gudsell had apologised verbally to cyclist Liz Williams on behalf of the two male riders, both bronze medallists in the team pursuit event. Williams said yesterday she had nothing to say about the controversy.

"Please shut it down, please just shut it down. I've got nothing to say because there's nothing to talk about," she said.

The Weekend Herald reported yesterday that the incident, which involved streaking, was more serious than first reported, quoting an unnamed female athlete as saying the two male cyclists did say they wanted to urinate on Williams, during a moment of high jinks around a pool in the athletes' village.

Both Williams and Games chef de mission Dave Currie denied this.

Ryan refused to comment on the details of the incident, referring the newspaper to Cycling New Zealand high performance boss Michael Flynn, but said he was unhappy about how the last few days had played out and was lying low.

"People were reporting all this stuff before the full story (came out) ... hopefully it'll pass by," Ryan said. "I'm shocked by it all. What (the media) have said so far has been blown up."

He said the comments from Games team administrators were more accurate. He said he did not know what would happen to his career - "I'll have to wait and see".

Tim Gudsell, who is understood to have returned to his cycling base in France, could not be contacted but his father Stuart said his son was "absolutely gutted" by the fallout from the incident, which he described as "harmless". "It's been a pretty tough emotional time the last couple of days.

"The boys are obviously pretty sorry about what's transpired, they're also just blown away by the way this thing's come out.

"Son of a gun, you just realise how lethal these sorts of things can be on one's character. It should be all over and done and dusted. It's bloody sad."

Mr Gudsell said his 22-year-old son called home on Monday morning, not knowing the story was about to break.

Even then, he had been surprised at how quickly a "nothing" situation got out of control.

"He was totally honest with us. He just told us that when they'd come home there had been a bit of ... hilarity, I suppose - there was nothing more than that.

"I don't know quite how [Liz Williams] came to be there but she went in up to her knees and that was it. After that there was the security guard and the police ... "

He rubbished suggestions that Kiwi cyclists had a binge-drinking culture.

"It's just like rugby players, or league, or whatever. And these guys have been months without any alcohol.

"They're gutted, they're blown away, I don't know how else to describe it."

Mr Gudsell said the pair would think very hard about how they celebrated in future. "They conduct themselves in a very very sincere and experienced fashion, their work ethic is highly regarded. They're pretty impressive young men, they really are."

The family would not see Tim for another six months.

"But every time we talk to him we tell him we love him. He's just one of nature's great guys."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY