ANNUAL CYCLING RACE

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LXIV, Issue 6579, 25 October 1939, Page 3

ANNUAL CYCLING RACE

CHRISTCHUUCH TO AKAROA AND BACK Tv enty-Eight Riders Take Part Twenty-eight competitors took part in the first leg of the Avon Amateur Cycling club's annual race from Christ

church to Akaroa and back during

the Labour Day week-end. They were

scut away on their jourr.ey on Satur-

day morning at 9.30 a.m. by The

Maj or of Christchurch, Mr R. M. Mac-

fariane, M.P. The road was in bad

condition owing to Friday night's

heavy rain and :.ver the sections of

the Highway under reconstruction by

the Public Works Department.

The first rider to reach Akaroa was W. D. Marks (scr), who established a new record fiom Christchurch to Akaroa in 2hrs 55min 30see. The previous record was 2hr 56mm lOsec put up by M. C. Vintimer last year. Owing to the condition u£ the road Marks' record is all the more creditable. At Little R ; ver Marks was down on time by 2mins on A. Mills, N. Mills and H. S. Dyer and at the Hill Top A. and N. Mills passed over with him. A. Mills punctured at Robinson's Bay and just commencing Tdkamatua hill Marks went ahead and beat N. Mills into Akaroa by 2lmins. A. J. Hall (30min) was third. His time was 2hrs 59min 30sec. The fourth man in was F. R. D. Straw (34min), time 2hrs 58min 20see. E. W. Wildey (scr) was fifth, time ohrs 9min and sixth man was A. Mills (12mins), time 3hrs 7min 30sec.

The riders left Akaroa on the return journey at 12.40 p.m. Monday •ind were started by the Mayor of Akaroa, Mr F. Davis.

Cvclists Entertained

While in Akaioa over the week-end the cyclists and a large number of supporters were entertained at a dance at the A.B.C. Social Hall on Saturday night when there was a laige gathering. Mr W. Frazier's band provided the music. On Sunday a picnic was held at Wainui, two launch loads of visitois spending an enjoyable day on the Wainui Domain. Archdeacon Petrie conducted an open air service in the afternoon which many of the cyclists The arrangements for ihe . ntertainment of the cyclists was in the hands of the Akaroa Progress Association. Mr L. J. "Vangioni made the arrangements for the Wainui picnic and as usual a large consignment of cooked crayfish was provided which all thoroughly enjoyed. The day was spent in cricket, rounders and other games on the Domain. Tea was provided in the Wainui hall throughout the day and the sunny weather made the outing very pleasant indeed, many visitors to Akaroa, besides the cyclists, making the

tjip. The Competitors Tho competitors and their handicaps areas follows : — W. D. Marks .. .. scratch. E. W. Wilde.v .. .. scratch. L. Green sci*atch. L. B. Quinn .. .. scratch. H. S. Dyer 12min. N .Mills 12niin. A. Mills 12min. G. C. Baaan . . .. 16min. A. Paviell 16min. I. J. Berry 16min. W. B. Green .. .. 30min. C. V. Cattermole .. .. 30min. A. J. Hall 30min. A. J. Dunn 34min. F. R. D. Straw .. .. 34min. N. Bidwell .. .. 34min. L. Marsden 36min. F. McGralh .. .. 36min. E. Bayliss 36min. G. W. Bartram .. .. 38min. H. Robinson .. .. 38min, A. R. Green 38min. A. J. Dyer 40min. S. Hogwood 40min. R. A. Griffith 50min. G. Giles 50min. A. C. Hands 70min. J. P. Norton 80min. J. Ayers lOOmin. Winners and Fastest Times

The winners of the race and the festest times registered since the race was started in 1935 are given below:

Winners —1935: J. L. Richards (hdcp. scr.) 6hr 14min. 46 sec; 1936: N. Ayers (hdcy. 35min) 6hr 7min 22sec; 1937: D. Briggs (hdcp 36min) 6hr 19min 2sec; 1938: W. H. Hall (hdcp 36min) 6hr 19min 9sec.

Fastest Times—l93s: J. L. Richards (scr) 6hr 14min 46sec; 1936: C. E. Hall (scr) shr 48min 16 1/5; 1937: L. R. Judkins (18min) 6hr lmin 20sec; 1938: W. D. Marks (scr) 6hr 48min Usee.

The total distance of the route from Christcburch to Akaroa and back is approximately 104 miles.

THE RETURN JOURNEY G. W. Barfcram Wins Race G. W. Bartram, off 38 minutes, who rode alone for nearly the whole return journey, won the fifth annual race to Akai'oa and back. Fastest time was gained by W. D. Marks, who oroke the record for the journey to Auaroa on Saturday. His time for the full trip was shr 51min 5-sec, a figure that has been beaten twice before, but the bad state of the road and the strong wind that was met on ■ ie road back made record-breaking out of the question.

Times generally were exceptionally good, considering that the road was under repair for sobie distance, and very difficult to negotiate by bicycle,

and that there was a strong easterly wind more or less in the faces of the riders from Motukarara onward.

Bartram had the return journey almost to himself. He was first to the Hilltop and first to Motukarara, where he was 4£ minutes ahead of F. R .D. Straw, who ran third, A. J. Hall at this point picked up Straw and the two, riding together for the rest of the journey, were able to pick the leader up and finish together close behind him. Bartvam rode a great race both going out and coming home.

Hall, who finished second, got.second fastest time, also took the junior fastest time, with a total for the race of shr 56min 6sec.

A splendid performance was put up by the youngest competitor in the race. J. Ayers, "who is 14 years old, and a lightweight even for his years. He finished last off the longest handicap, but was given a great reception when he completed the course, He rode the journey back in the creditable time of 4hr 16min 20sec, and completed the course in 9hr 7min 40sec. Results were :— G. W. Bartram (38min) 6hr 6min 31 sec 1 A. J. Hall (30min) shr 56min 6sec 2 F. R. D. Straw (34min), 6hr Omin 36 l/ssec •• 8 A. R. Green (38min), 6hr 50min 17sec 4 F. McGrath (36min), 6hr 24min 52sec .. .. 5 N. Bidwell (34min) Ghr 1 llmin 39 sec .. .. .. 6 A. J. Dyer (70min) 7 A. J. Dunn (34min) .. . .. 8 E. Bayliss (36'min) .. .. .. 9 R. A. Griffith (50min) .. ..10