Cycling: Painful road to glory for Bricklebank

By TERRY MADDAFORD

April 30, 2003. Tom Bricklebank remembers that date only too well. The time, too - 10.50am. His world came crashing down as he headed home through South Auckland after a training ride. Hit by a car, Bricklebank flew over the bonnet and landed in a battered heap.

Nursing a pelvis broken in three places and the usual cuts and bruises that car versus cycle crashes bring, Bricklebank was convinced his cycling days were over. As an "old man" he knew only too well that injuries so severe need time to heal.

Fast-forward four months. The nightmare turned to a dream, and Bricklebank, 61, stood atop the dais as a world champion in veterans' cycling. He had joined a select group of New Zealanders to win the prized "rainbow jersey" of a world champion.

"As I lay there I was convinced it was the end. I wasn't going anywhere," said Bricklebank as he reflected on the day of the accident.

"But slowly I had other thoughts. I went back to [exercise physiologist] Amy Mason and she gave me a programme. Still, I had no real intention of riding the world championships but I was going to England for a wedding anyway so I decided to give it a go."

It was a fairytale journey for Bricklebank.

After riding as a youngster he gave the pedals away, joined the Owairaka athletics club and trained under Arthur Lydiard for a time before concentrating on his work in computers for many years.

He did not start riding again until 1989 as a 47-year-old, 30 years after he had last been on a bicycle.

The following year he won the national veterans' title in Wanganui.

This year's crash wasn't his first in a world-championships buildup. Last year - again, in April - he broke ribs and a collarbone, but went on to compete in Austria, finishing third in the time trial and eighth in the road race.

This year he went all the way to the top.

"From the time I first went over there to race, I couldn't believe how fast these guys go. They have races virtually every day. Veterans races are restricted to riders 35 years and older but that certainly doesn't slow them down."

This year Bricklebank returned convinced he had one good ride in him. He targeted the time trial. In the 60-64 year category, and against 61 opponents, he won by 25s.

Although he says he does not fear falling off, Tom Bricklebank admits he is scared by Auckland's traffic.

He's not alone there.