Tino Tabak (NZ cyclist of 1970s) interview

[The Barb]

If anyone is interested, here is a link to a recent interview with Tino Tabak, a New Zealand / Dutch professional cyclist of the 1970s. Obviously a guy with a few stories to tell, though I didn't think he came across very well in this interview ...

http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/sat/sat-20091031-0835-Tino_Tabak_cycling_and_cheating-048.mp3

 

[Echoes]

wow I didn't know he had kiwi origins. Gonna listen to this.

 

[worshipmilano]

Kiwi legends

Tino Tabak inspired a legion of Kiwi cyclists who were the modern pioneers of new Zealand cycling , they were

PAUL JESSON pro with Splendor , bad crash , doulble amputee
the best story never told !!!!!
GARY BELL
VERN HANARAY
ROGER SUMICH us based pro in 70/80's
BLAIR STOCKWELL

as an 18 yo old racing, these guys were gods,just being on their wheel was an honour and now we have

JULIAN DEAN,HAYDEN ROULTON,SAM BEWLEY, GREG HENDERSON all in the pro tour not a bad deal for a country of 4 million people , a new breed of Legends.

 

[BikeCentric]

Tino Tabak inspired a legion of Kiwi cyclists who were the modern pioneers of new Zealand cycling , they were

PAUL JESSON pro with Splendor , bad crash , doulble amputee
the best story never told !!!!!
GARY BELL
VERN HANARAY
ROGER SUMICH us based pro in 70/80's
BLAIR STOCKWELL

as an 18 yo old racing, these guys were gods,just being on their wheel was an honour and now we have

JULIAN DEAN,HAYDEN ROULTON,SAM BEWLEY, GREG HENDERSON all in the pro tour not a bad deal for a country of 4 million people , a new breed of Legends.

Dude, don't forget Robbie Hunter.

 

[timmers]

Dude, don't forget Robbie Hunter.

Who is from South Africa which is a different country.

 

[Echoes]

I think I remember a New-Zealander from the Motorola team in the nineties but I don't remember his name.


Could someone please explain to me what occured to Tino during his Bordeaux-Paris because I'm afraid I have difficulties in getting familiar with his accent?

I've understood that he had injected himself a substance during the break in Poitiers, that he was suffering with his finger (or something like that) and that he eventually finished 7th.

 

[Tugboat]

I think I remember a New-Zealander from the Motorola team in the nineties but I don't remember his name.

Stephen Swart.

 

[Tugboat]

JULIAN DEAN,HAYDEN ROULTON,SAM BEWLEY, GREG HENDERSON all in the pro tour not a bad deal for a country of 4 million people , a new breed of Legends.

You forgot Tim Gudsell!

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

Could someone please explain to me what occured to Tino during his Bordeaux-Paris because I'm afraid I have difficulties in getting familiar with his accent?

I've understood that he had injected himself a substance during the break in Poitiers, that he was suffering with his finger (or something like that) and that he eventually finished 7th.

He was suffering. His finger probably hurt too, because he hooked it around the seat of his pace motorbike, to get a tow whenever nobody was watching.

 

[Echoes]

OK Thank you both.

Stephen Swart, yeah now I remember.

 

[kiwirider]

Stephen Swart.

We also had Nathan Dahlberg on the same team for a few years - back when it was called 7-Eleven ... can't remember if he was there for the first couple of Motorola years or not ...

For those who are interested in Paul Jesson's story, there's a slight extension on the summary in worhsipmilano's post here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=2D...AEwBA#v=onepage&q=paul jesson cyclist&f=false

(Don't think that the link shows up properly ... just google "paul jesson cyclist" and look for the google books page from the book "Ride")

The story stops short as, from memory he's picked up another couple of Paralympic medals and titles in IP. Definitely an inspirational story ...

Check out also the "pen portraits" of a few other of the greats of Kiwi men's road riding. Actually, anyone for who's interested in Kiwi cycling in general, I'd recommend the book (was a christmas pressie to me when it came out - shut me up for the rest of the day!!). It also sheds some interesting light on some of the current top pros who cut their teeth in part on NZ races like Tour of Southland and the North Island tour under its various names. (Thinking in particular of those posters who were rather scathing of Southland in another thread about how far Flandis has fallen ...)