Biography
Born in Tuakau and raised on a diary farm in Morrinsville, where his parents had imigrated from the Netherlands. Jack and his younger brother Stephen went on to become top New Zealand cyclists.
Morrinsville had the reknown "Morrinsville Wheelers" cycling club that introduced the Jack to cycling and saw him progress through the ranks.
Jack and Blair Stockwell went on to become the only two riders to win the prestigious "Dulux North Island Tour" three times.
Naturally strong, Jack’s style of racing was one of riding at the front and seeing who could stay with him.
Jack was referred to as "the blond-haired giant of New Zealand cycling for the best part of a decade through to 1986".
Jack represented New Zealand at both the Edmonton 1978 and Brisbane 1982 Commonwealth Games.
At the Edmonton Games, Jack was part of the Track Cycling team where he raced in both the 4000m Individual Pursuit and the Team Pursuit.
Jack had made the selection to represent New Zealand at the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games when he was contacted to advise that New Zealand had withdrawn the team. Many New Zealand athletes missed their Olympic Games opportunity due to New Zealand being one of sixty countries to boycott of the Games.
In 1982, selected again for the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team Jack switched cycling disciplines to that of the road and took the bronze medal in the Time Trial event.
Fast facts
- Sport
- Cycling - Road, Cycling - Track
- Birth place
- Tuakau, Auckland
- Born
- 1954
Commonwealth GamesBrisbane 1982
Cycling - Road(Team Time Trial - Men)
- Placed: 3 of 9
Cycling - Road(Road Race - Men)
- Placed: 15th
Commonwealth GamesEdmonton 1978
Cycling - Track(4000m Individual Pursuit - Men)
Cycling - Track(4000m Team Pursuit - Men)
- Placed: 2nd