BIG ROAD RACE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 304, 5 October 1946, Page 6

BIG ROAD RACE

TIMARU TO CHRISTCHURCH PROGRESS OF RIDERS The 100-mile New Zealand Cycle Championship from Timaru to Christchurch was held to-day, when 67 of the 69 entrants started. The scratchings were L. Lewis, of Christchurch, and J. Cooper, of Greymouth. The limit man, L. Brown, of Christchurch, started promptly at 9.30. The first group of six riders passed through Ashburton at 12.6, led by L. Arnst, of Opawa (52min.) The others were P. C. Pyne (Richmond), D. Harrison (Somerfield), C. L. Gluestein (Tinwald), who started at 9.48, and C. Eilken (Lincoln) and E. Seeker (Christchurch), who started at 9.43. The second group comprising 11 riders passed through at 12.13. They were: R. N. Davie (Timaru), H. B. Chamberlain (Waimate), D. W. Clark (Stillwater), who left at 10.1 with a handicap of 34 minutes, L. Young W. Neils (Auckland), R. Hubbard (Rangiora), J. H. King (Christchurch), S. Hayes (Auckland), who had a handicap of 39 minutes, and W. Harris (Tinwald), B. Chapman (Christchurch) and C. J. Arnst (Nelson), who had a handicap of 42 minutes. There were nine riders in the third group, which passed through at 12.15. The riders were: C. Carr (West Coast), R. J. Knight (Christchurch), A. I). Sampson (Ashburton), R. Arnst (Christchurch), E. Shaw (Hornby), R. R. Watson (Auckland), W. Swarbuck (Christchurch), who left at 10.4 with a handicap of 31 minutes, and A. Loach (Timaru) and W. R. Willmott (Timaru), who left at 10.1. The five-minute men were going better at Ashburton than the scratch men, who were actually eight minutes behind the five-minute markers passing through here. The scratch men passed through Ashburton in a bunch at 12.44, having covered the journey from Timaru in 2hrs 9min. They were then only 38 minutes behind the leaders, having caught up 27 minutes of their handicap.