Cycling: Games track rider accuses officials of not lifting a finger to help him

By CHRIS RATTUE

Anthony Peden has attacked two Cycling New Zealand officials, claiming they are more interested in advancing their own careers than looking after Kiwi riders.

The Australian-born track cyclist, who has returned to Wanganui, is still sour after being relegated in a sprint repechage at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

The 31-year-old said yesterday that he was still positive about his future with CNZ and wanted to continue his representative career with this country until the selectors decided his time was up.

But he claimed CNZ's immediate past president, John McDonnell, and national selector Graham Sycamore were not using their positions as international officials to push his case when he faced disqualification.

"It is ironic that in 12 years of competing, the three times I've been disqualified at high-level meetings have involved New Zealanders as commissaires," he said. "I can't say they were directly involved with all of those decisions, but they were officials at those meetings.

"Neither stood up for me. They're just interested in themselves and not their riders. They want to further their careers and don't want to be seen as helping New Zealand riders.

"If the same thing had happened to French or Italian riders, their officials would have been in boots and all. They are passionate about their sport and want their riders to succeed at all costs.

"I'm still very sour. Consistency was non-existent. You train your guts out and are proud to wear the Silver Fern, but then you wonder if you are backed by people at the top."

Cycling employs a judge/referee system and Southlander Sycamore and Louise Jones from Wales held the positions at the Manchester Games, while McDonnell was the chief commissaire.

They ruled that Peden had ridden above the sprint line so was not entitled to drop back in and interfere with Englishman Andy Slater's ride. That ended the medal hopes of Peden, who was the fourth seed.

Sycamore said video showed that Peden had transgressed and that the sprint was well under way when the incident happened.

But Peden disputes that the sprint had started, and he had some high-level back-up at the Games from Sarah Ulmer.

"Someone in cycling has a vendetta against him," said Ulmer, who rode into New Zealand sporting legend by successfully defending her Games pursuit title.

"He has the worst, worst luck, that guy. Sometimes he's been disqualified for stuff that's not even close for disqualification.

"The guy has got a bloody big beacon on his head saying DQ me."

A petition that was seeking "accountability," organised by one of Peden's backers and sent to the New Zealand and international cycling federations, plus the New Zealand Olympic Committee, included the signature of great track cyclist Gary Anderson.

Sycamore said that while he was an official at the world championships in France when Peden was disqualified in the keirin, the motor-paced event, he had not been involved in the decision.

Peden was also disqualified in the world keirin in Germany, when McDonnell was officiating.

He said he would not lodge a complaint about Peden's comments, and doubted if McDonnell would either.

"Peden came down with a real wallop. He was quite clearly in the wrong. We checked it on the video and when we did, there was no doubt in our mind. I don't take too much notice of the sort of comments he has made."

He did not believe Peden's comments would hurt his selection.

Peden said the issue had put a cloud over whether he would compete at next month's world track championships in Denmark.

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