Cycling: Cycling chiefs keen to talk to star they banned

By JULIE ASH

Cycling New Zealand wants a meeting with banned Hastings cyclist Jeremy Yates.

Jeremy and his brother Matthew received an 18-month suspension this week for what has been termed persistent immature behaviour.

They were banned from all national teams and squads, and from access to sports science and medicine assistance.

If they attend an anger management course their ban will be reduced to a year.

CNZ general manager Mark Harris said yesterday that once things had settled down, the national organisation would like to talk to Jeremy, the younger and more promising of the pair.

"We need to work with Jeremy," Harris said.

"We want him to continue. He is only 19 and has a big future in the sport. "I think he is remorseful.

"He still wants to compete for his country - but Matthew doesn't."

Jeremy Yates won the 2000 world junior road championships and is training in Italy with the Mapei trade team alongside members of the Australian under-23 team.

Matthew Yates, 21, is riding in Belgium.

"They were in contention for the Commonwealth Games team with a dozen or so others," Harris said.

After the ban, Matthew Yates attacked CNZ administrators and disciplinary tribunal members.

He vowed never again to race for New Zealand.

"What concerns us is that Matthew made the statement on behalf of Jeremy," Harris said.

The 18-month-ban comes after a series of behaviour problems which culminated in the Tour of Tasmania where one brother was fined and the other disqualified after abuse towards a senior official.

"People are fed up," Harris said. "They are trying to make themselves bigger than the sport.

"The concern for us is what if a young girl was watching.

"Should she be subjected to that type of behaviour? No, of course not, no-one should."

It is not the first time the pair have been in trouble.

In 1998, Matthew received disciplinary action after he was caught drawing obscenities on the road at the national championships.

In 2000, his licence was suspended for three months and he was fined nearly $700 after testing positive for the banned substance etilefrine in the Tour of Hokkaido in Japan.

This year, Jeremy was dumped from a safety campaign for allegedly training without a helmet on Hawkes Bay roads.

The national body could have imposed a suspension on their racing licences this week which would have prevented them from competing overseas.

"But placing in jeopardy the future of their careers is not something at this stage we wanted to do," Harris said.

"We tried to reason with them early on, but they didn't take any of it on board.

"So enough was enough. You make your own destiny."