The Internationale 1977
By Tracy Holmes

Wimbledon, Monday June 6 and the 'Embassy Internationale' was again weather affected.

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Philip Rising said,

"... conditions changed dramatically from one race to the next, at one time the sun shone brilliantly at one end of the stadium while rain fell in sheets at the other."

Certainly would have been a sight however, at the end of the night, Wimbledon fans were overjoyed as their riders finished 1st and 2nd! Evergreen Polish star Edward Jancarz took home the brand new Weslake after his 13 point Pole-axe. And it was New Zealand's only rep, Larry Ross who beat Phil Crump in the 2nd place run-off. His 11 points would normally have been enough for 4th or 5th but this was no normal night.

Big talking points being the jaw dropping performances of the favourites. World Champion Peter Collins, after top scoring for Belle Vue with 14 points at Kings Lynn in the morning, he was plagued with mechanical issues that may have cost him 5 points. He lead heats 6 and 10 before being stuffed. Mike Lee top scored for Kings Lynn with 11 but just was not at the evening races. And Malcolm Simmons just had a bad day at the office.

However none of this detracted from the Wimbledon stars night of nights in a thoroughly entertaining Operatic spectacular.

Heat 1 . Collins, ROSS, Jessup, Lee.
Heat 2. Ashby, McMillan, Davis, C Morton.
Heat 3. Louis, Jancarz, Kennett, Wyer.
Heat 4. Sanders, Crump, Simmons, Boulger.
Heat 5. ROSS, Kennett, Sanders, McMillan.
Heat 6. C Morton, Simmons, Collins, Wyer.
Heat 7. Jancarz, Davis, Crump. Jessup ef
Heat 8. Boulger, Ashby, Lee, Louis.
Heat 9. Jancarz, C Morton, ROSS, Boulger.
Heat 10. Crump, Louis, McMillan. Collins ef
Heat 11. Jessup, Simmons, Ashby, Kennett.
Heat 12. Davis, Wyer, Sanders, Lee.
Heat 13. ROSS, Davis, Simmons, Louis.
Heat 14. Sanders, Jancarz, Collins. Ashby nf
Heat 15. McMillan, Jessup, Boulger, Wyer.
Heat 16. Kennett, Crump, C Morton, Lee.
Heat 17. Crump, ROSS, Ashby. Wyer ef
Heat 18. Kennett, Collins, Davis, Boulger.
Heat 19. Jessup, C Morton, Sanders, Louis.
Heat 20. Jancarz, McMillan, Simmons, Middleditch. Lee ns
2nd place run-off. ROSS, Crump.

Edward Jancarz 13. LARRY ROSS 11. Phil Crump 11. Dave Jessup 9. Gordon Kennett 9. Billy Sanders 9. John Davis 9. Jim McMillan 8. Chris Morton 8. Peter Collins 7. Martin Ashby 7. Malcolm Simmons 7. John Louis 5. John Boulger 4. Doug Wyer 2. Mike Lee 1. Res Neil Middleditch 0. Res Keith White dnr.

This article was first published on 10th May 2020