Cycling: Irate Anderson walks out on Games squad

By CHRIS RATTUE AND NZPA

Gary Anderson, New Zealand's greatest track cyclist, has quit as the national assistant coach just 12 days before the Commonwealth Games begin in Manchester.

The 34-year-old Anderson, who won an Olympic bronze in the individual pursuit at Barcelona in 1992, returned to his Wanganui home last night but refused to comment.

Head coach Max Vertongen said from Frankfurt that Anderson had "personal pressures" which prevented him doing his job properly.

"It was the decision of the team management that he return home."

Vertongen, of Palmerston North, would not comment when asked whether Anderson and a cyclist had thrown punches in a restaurant.

Anderson was involved in a couple of high-profile dust-ups in his racing days.

"Gary's going hasn't created any disruption to the team," Vertongen said.

Members of the management team who decided Anderson's fate were Vertongen, mechanic Dale Hollows and physiotherapist Mark Hollands.

Anderson has been replaced by fellow Olympian Tim Carswell from Christchurch.

He is the coach of his wife, Fiona Carswell, who is in the track team.

Anderson won eight Commonwealth Games medals, including three golds.

His agent, Glenda Hughes, said: "Gary has been under fairly tough personal pressures for the past three or four months.

"From what Max said to me it got to the stage where he was having difficulty working with the team and it was decided that it would be better that he returned home."

The track squad is due to arrive in Manchester on July 21.

Full coverage:
nzherald.co.nz/manchester2002

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