The Cookie Incident

During July 1973, the Canadian team competed and trained in Spain and France.^[11] Living daily in close quarters for over three weeks only made tensions within the team more intense. Lovell was a free-spirit and that caused him to have a combative relationship with some of the team's coaches and administrators.^[12] He also had a tense relationship with some of his teammates.^[13]

The suppressed tensions between the team and Lovell finally surfaced into the open during what became known as the "Cookie Incident."^[11] It turned out, that his hotel room key, also opened a supply room door on his floor. He raided the pantry and took a box of cookies. He shared the cookies with his teammates, but one of them objected to his behaviour. The team captain reported him to team officials.^[14] The officials used this incident, and a scuffle with a teammate – that happened around this time – to force him to go back to Canada before the rest of the team.^[15] The coaching staff then started disciplinary proceedings against him through the sport's oversight body, the Canadian Cycling Association (CCA), partially to retaliate against him for his insubordination.^[13]

After many months of CCA committee deliberations, the President of the CCA, Guy Morin, on 20 November 1973, informed Lovell that he was suspended from the national team for six months.^[15] Some of the coaches wanted a lifetime ban, but the review committee did not agree.^[13] The decision meant he would not be part of Team Canada at the Commonwealth Games in New Zealand in January 1974.^[16] Not only did it deny Lovell from defending his Commonwealth titles, but Team Canada would not win a medal in men's cycling at those games.^[17]

The suspension made Lovell actually consider becoming a professional racer in Europe.^[18] He did travel to Amsterdam in late January 1974 and trained as an amateur, preparing to join a professional club.^[19] Lovell became the first Canadian ever to ride regularly for an amateur European trade team (Hebro Flandria).^[20] He won some races in Europe,^[12] but got turned off of becoming a professional because of the small amount of money involved and the drug-doping that the pros were doing.^[17] When the ban was up, he returned to Canada in July, and maintained his amateur status to compete at the 1974 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in August, held in Montreal.^[21]

1974 Canadian Championships

Lovell came back from Europe to compete at the Canadian senior cycling championships at Vancouver’s China Creek Velodrome during the final weekend of July.^[22] He felt he had something to prove to CCA officials after his six-month suspension.^[23] In attendance that weekend were CCA’s executive director Ken Smith and newly hired national men’s team head coach, Don Sutherland.^[24]

On the first day of competition, Lovell took the men’s 1000-metre time trial with a winning time of 1:11.01.^[24] He also was the class of the 1000-metre sprint preliminaries, winning his heat easily.^[25]

On Sunday, 28 July, Lovell won the 1,000-metre sprint and the 4000-metre individual pursuit to become the overall national individual champion for the fourth time in five years.^[26] In the men’s 4000-metre pursuit, Lovell posted a best time of 5:11.02, while Roy Fondse of Winnipeg placed second and Brian Keast of Vancouver was third.^[27] In the 1000-metre sprints, Lovell covered the last 200 metres in 12.37 seconds beating second place finisher Ed McRae of Vancouver and third place finisher André Simard of Quebec City.^[27] The wins in the 1000-metre time trial and the individual pursuit qualified Lovell to be on Team Canada in those events for the UCI world championships in Montreal the next month.^[28]

The Canadian championships continued in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia on Thursday, 1 August, with Lovell leading the Ontario A team to victory in the 100-kilometre team time trial event with a time of 2:17:08.50, almost two minutes faster than the two Quebec teams that finished in second and third place.^[29]

The men’s 105-mile (169-kilometre) road race took place on Sunday, using a 12-kilometre circuit through Burnaby. Lovell completed the 14 laps in five hours, six minutes, 18.5 seconds (5:06:18.50). He was a length ahead of Calgary’s Hank Konig who placed second, while third went to Gilles Durand of Quebec.^[30] Lovell held back from the initial leaders, then, with a pack, made a move to the front on the ninth lap. Konig was in the lead during the final lap until he had mechanical difficulties. That’s when Lovell made his move and sprinted past him near the finish line to win.^[31] This victory gave Lovell his fifth gold medal, and a sweep of all the individual events, at the 1974 Canadian Senior Cycling championships.^[31]

1974 UCI World Championships

The 75th UCI World Cycling Championships were held at the University of Montreal from 14-25 August 1974.^[32] This was the first time the event was held outside of Europe.^[33] Originally, the championships were supposed to be held at the new Olympic Velodrome, but like most construction involved with the Montreal Olympics, the building was way behind schedule.^[34] A temporary outdoor velodrome was constructed using the wood track intended for the Olympic velodrome, on the Stade CEPSUM playing field and certified by UCI officials in late July.^[34]

Unfortunately for Canada, the team did not do well at the world championships. Lovell was ousted early in the individual pursuit. He was on tap after the championship’s official opening ceremonies that evening in the 1,000-metre time trial event.^[35] At 1:10.11, he finished 13th, well back of the Soviet Union’s Eduard Rapp 1:07.61 who picked up the first gold medal of the championships.^[36] Lovell was the best hope for a medal but it was not to be, and the host Canadians did not win any medals at the championships.^[37]

1000-metre Time Trail

The first event he entered was the 1000-metre time trial on 4 August, which was the first day of competition at the games. There were 36 racers and as one of the Commonwealth's best track racers he drew the last seed. Other veteran racers David Weller from Jamaica, and Trevor Gadd from England were given the remaining late seeds.^[44]

There were two surprise breakout performances at this event from newer racers: Gordon Singleton from Canada and Kenrick Tucker from Australia.^[45] Both were junior members of their respective teams. Tucker was the fourth seed and posted a new games record time of 1:06.96 that was the fastest for the next two hours. Singleton posted a time of 1:07.56 that was good enough for second at that point.^[44] Then, the final racer, Lovell, came on the track after a 30-minute weather delay because of lightening storms near the velodrome. Lovell posted a new Commonwealth record time of 1:06.00 and won the gold medal in the event. Singleton had to settle for the bronze medal.^[44]

Tandem Sprint

Lovell followed up his gold performance by teaming up with Singleton in the Tandem Sprint. The pair took home the gold on 10 August against the English team of Gadd and Dave Le Grys. The English team crashed on the track during the finals and could not continue, giving the Canadians the gold by default.^[46]

10-Mile Scratch Race

Later that day, Lovell again competed in the games final track event, the 10-mile (15 km) scratch race. Lovell staid in the pack, behind the leaders until the final three laps. He began his move to catch the leaders by breaking away from the pack and catching up to the leaders. He took the lead in the final two laps and won his third gold medal of the games.^[46]