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Sidney the robin

Ivan Mauger 1972 unreal.!!!

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I started going in 75 but still remember Ivan being very special that year, some might say he was past his best after that but didn't he win another couple of world championships after that!!!!

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2 minutes ago, bruno said:

I started going in 75 but still remember Ivan being very special that year, some might say he was past his best after that but didn't he win another couple of world championships after that!!!!

Ivan put in a storming 1975 season and his league form was top notch...if I recall he lost some weight thru' a fitness regime and it played against him towards the end of the season and the World Final at Wembley when beaten by John Louis during a run-off for third (I think that he was suffering with exhaustion by then?)

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I went to the 78 world final when if memory serves me right Ivan was the current world champ I think, I stand to be corrected tho. He had a nightmare that night falling in one race. As a youngster of 17 I was gutted. Then I realised all Ole had to do was win he's last 2 races to be champ which he did. I think Ole was still at Wolves that year so I was not happy. Stand to be corrected on any of the above due to memory and a night up the pub

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Yeah, Ivan's bike was slowing the entire race, the engine was gradually seizing up, though he did well to block the track for as long as he did.  The following Ole Olsen & Gordon Kennett went past either side going into turn 3, by this time Ivan's bike had pretty much stopped, Olsen went outside but Kennett clipped him whilst going past in the inside, causing him to fall.  I wasn't there unfortunately but saw the highlights on TV soon after the meet had ended....

Edited by martinmauger
belated spelling
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4 hours ago, martinmauger said:

Yeah, Ivan's bike was slowing the entire race, the engine was gradually seizing up, though he did well to block the track for as long as he did.  The following Ole Olsen & Gordon Kennett went past either side going into turn 3, by this time Ivan's bike had pretty much stopped, Olsen went outside but Kennett clipped him whilst going past in the inside, causing him to fall.  I wasn't there unfortunetly but saw the highlights on TV soon after the meet had ended....

...I missed this final as I was in Jersey (as my brother constantly reminds me!). As an Oxford and White City fan obviously Gordon was my choice that year...and he got very close to becoming champion (strange that his potential 'easy' race he allowed Ila Teromaa to beat him) as he out shone more established candidates that day. Never liked Olsen and it would have been interested if they had met in a rub-off for the title?

Ivan admitted that his bike was slowing and to his credit he never blamed Gordon for clipping him as he passed by.

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1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

...I missed this final as I was in Jersey (as my brother constantly reminds me!). As an Oxford and White City fan obviously Gordon was my choice that year...and he got very close to becoming champion (strange that his potential 'easy' race he allowed Ila Teromaa to beat him) as he out shone more established candidates that day. Never liked Olsen and it would have been interested if they had met in a rub-off for the title?

Ivan admitted that his bike was slowing and to his credit he never blamed Gordon for clipping him as he passed by.

It was not the best of Finals i  really wanted Lee or Autrey to win it but it was not to be also supported Jan Andersson  but he struggled and only scored 3 points.Wembley as an occasion was something else the racing not the best but the Atmosphere was something else to be fair though Len Silver did produce a great track for the 81 final..

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2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

...I missed this final as I was in Jersey (as my brother constantly reminds me!). As an Oxford and White City fan obviously Gordon was my choice that year...and he got very close to becoming champion (strange that his potential 'easy' race he allowed Ila Teromaa to beat him) as he out shone more established candidates that day. Never liked Olsen and it would have been interested if they had met in a rub-off for the title?

Ivan admitted that his bike was slowing and to his credit he never blamed Gordon for clipping him as he passed by.

I think he played for it, actually, to try and get a re-run. Didn't he stay down on the track, too, to get the race stopped but the ref let it carry on?

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29 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

It was not the best of Finals i  really wanted Lee or Autrey to win it but it was not to be also supported Jan Andersson  but he struggled and only scored 3 points.Wembley as an occasion was something else the racing not the best but the Atmosphere was something else to be fair though Len Silver did produce a great track for the 81 final..

I was there, supporting Jan, too. I remember thinking he looked absolutely terrified on the truck at the beginning!

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17 hours ago, Grachan said:

I think he played for it, actually, to try and get a re-run. Didn't he stay down on the track, too, to get the race stopped but the ref let it carry on?

Maybe, but races often continued with a rider laid on the track in those days :o.  Kennett & Olsen were effectivley 'ganging up' on Ivan from behind and were going to get by sooner or later and, no, he never blamed Kennett for his fall.  Whilst on the deck, conveniently near the pit gate, Ivan began planning for his 1979 assault on the title.  Incedentally, I read somehere that Olsen had a 'special' JAWA prepared for that 1978 Final and the engine blew up in the next meeting....

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Certain people wrote Ivan off as a major (no pun intended!) contender after the 1978 Final but he came back with a vengeance to win in Poland in 1979.

He had a great year in 1979...not only lifting the Individual title but also winning the Team Cup leading New Zealand (which gave him great personal pleasure sticking two figures up to the authorities!) and of course almost leading Hull to the League Championship which they should have won if it hadn't been for the inexcusable absence of certain riders in key matches.

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8 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Certain people wrote Ivan off as a major (no pun intended!) contender after the 1978 Final but he came back with a vengeance to win in Poland in 1979.

He had a great year in 1979...not only lifting the Individual title but also winning the Team Cup leading New Zealand (which gave him great personal pleasure sticking two figures up to the authorities!) and of course almost leading Hull to the League Championship which they should have won if it hadn't been for the inexcusable absence of certain riders in key matches.

Ivan had an exeptional year in 1979 personally, but don't get me started on the league ^^, :rolleyes:....

Edited by martinmauger
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On ‎17‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 2:02 AM, martinmauger said:

Maybe, but races often continued with a rider laid on the track in those days :o.  Kennett & Olsen were effectivley 'ganging up' on Ivan from behind and were going to get by sooner or later and, no, he never blamed Kennett for his fall.  Whilst on the deck, conveniently near the pit gate, Ivan began planning for his 1979 assault on the title.  Incedentally, I read somehere that Olsen had a 'special' JAWA prepared for that 1978 Final and the engine blew up in the next meeting....

Other example of races continuing include Ivan falling in the 1973 run-off and Egon Muller's tumble in the 1976 final.

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12 hours ago, Grachan said:

Other example of races continuing include Ivan falling in the 1973 run-off and Egon Muller's tumble in the 1976 final.

It was commonplace at the time.  Don't forget the 1974 World Final, where Olsen took a heavy fall and the race continued with him lying injured on the track.

 

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Ronnie Moore posted an impressive 10.34 average in his last full season for Wimbledon in 1972. Mirac was a real hero of mine,  in my youth!

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41 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

Ronnie Moore posted an impressive 10.34 average in his last full season for Wimbledon in 1972. Mirac was a real hero of mine,  in my youth!

...I was chuffed that I was able to see him ride during his last full season. 14 points at Poole I recall.

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