Sportsman Of The Month

The most outstanding cyclist to leave Gisborne for many years, 25 year-old Neil Robinson, has returned home after five very successful years in Auckland.

Robinson's cycling career started meteorically, when at 17, in his first year, he took all the local junior track and road titles. By 1962 he was ready for better things, so moved to Auckland to set about reaching the top of his chosen sport.

The results of dedicated training (in three years he rode over 30,000 training miles) began to show in the next two seasons as his list of placings mounted.

By 1964 Robinson was in the headlines, with his outside win in the Dulux Auckland to Wellington six-day race, in which he also gained the "King of the Mountains" title. He went on that year to win the first of his two N.Z. track titles.

The headlines continued for the next two years, as a member of the N.Z. teams to Tasmania (1965) and the World Championships in Germany (1966). It was during these years at the top that he, and several associates, became dubbed as the "Rebel Riders", having their fair share of controversy with the Auckland centre.

Although not in serious training, back on the local scene he has gained fastest time in all his races so far this season.