FROM TIMARU TO CHRISTCHURCH

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21639, 25 November 1935, Page 20

FROM TIMARU TO CHRISTCHURCH

AGAINST WIND MAJORITY OF RIDERS DROP OUT L. G. FLEMING GAINS FASTEST TIME Battling with a strong head wind, which at times almost reached gale force, the 111 starters in the Timaru-to-Christchurch cycle road race on Saturday had a most difficult ride, and it was not surprising that the majority of the riders failed to complete the course. From the Rangitata bridge to the Addington Showgrounds, the northeasterly wind was dead against the riders. There was no respite, and the only method by which could be achieved anything like satisfactory headway was for the riders to group together in big bunches. The men who filled the first few placings, including the winner, D. Swanston, of Christchurch, and the rider who gained K fwtcst time, L. G. Fleming, owed their success to remaining with one bunch, which at one time comprised more than 20 riders, and which remained together until the Addington trotting grounds were reached. H. G. Watson, the one scratch man, who had to concede six minutes to Lamberton and Weir, rode alone for much of the course, and finally dropped out of the race near Bankside. Before Ashburton was reached, Watson had found riding alone in the strong wind a very hard task, and at Ashburton he was 12 minutes behind Lamberton, instead of the six originally conceded. , The first five riders to reach the trotting grounds were D. Swanston (Christchurch), off 15min, B. G. Miles (Kaikoura) off 38min. L. G. Fleming (Christchurch) off 13min, G. Leggett iChristchurch) off 30min, and G. M. Annett (Yaldhurst) off 18min. The riders had to go round the course once before finishing, and in the face of a heavy wind, the last lap of the race was perhaps its hardest part. Fleming would have gained first and fastest time had he won, but both Swanston and Miles headed him off in the last 50 yards, and he had to be content with third place. His time was six seconds over six hours. A. E. Clemence of Christchurch, whose chain had broken near the end of the race, received a special ovation, and deserved it. After j his chain had broken, Clemence, who had been well up with the leaders, came Into the ground on foot and ran round the track.

The gale made the journey more of an endurance test than a race. At one time, R. M. Stokes, of Linwood, riding from the 42min mark, had established a lead of two miles on the rest of the field, but before Dunsandel was reached he found the task beyond his strength, riding alone, and deliberately loitered till the others should catch him. He remained with the leaders for some miles, but finally was unable to keep the pace and dropped back. Thirty-two riders actually finished. The race was organised by the Mairehlu C» cling Club, and entries and arrangements were alike good.

The Race A total of 111 riders—the biggest in any road race in New Zealand for some years—left Timaru. The starters were the Mayor of Timaru, Mr T, W. Satterthwaite, and the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, who sent away some of the ffnal bunches, and wished H. G. Watson, the solitary scratch man, the best of luck. ' Conditions became bad when the Rangitata bridge was reached, and a strong north-easterly wind almost halved riding speeds. Just before Hinds there was a big bunch—more than 20 riders—of men from assorted marks from 38 to 44min, headed by J. Wilson, of Waltham, a farmer amateur rider making his first appearance with the professionals. From the 36min men to those on the limit-' of 55min there was only a short distance and there must have been

nearly 90 riders on the Hinds road at the one time. Leading the race at Hinds were a bunch of 46, 50, and 55min men, with C. V. Carr, of Bromley, in the lead and apparently trying to make a break on the rest of the field. J. Haines, New Brighton, off 46min, was Close on him and was riding exceptionally well. Nearer Ashburton the leaders were 1. Rawson (Timaru), Haines, J. O'Connor A. J. Annett (Yaldhurst). J. C. Blackburn (Dromore), and C. V. Carr. L. Arnst (Ashburton), an early leader, was dropped from the leading bunch before Ashburton was reached. The riders were making a steady 16 or 17 miles an hour. Annett was taking easily the fastest laps, but Haines, riding a bigger gear, was riding with the least effort. At Ashburton The same five riders still led when Ashburton was reached, but they were showing the effects of the hard northeast wind. Soon after them came a big bunch, and their arrival was the most exciting of all because two riders, L. Arnst and G. Johnston, fought out a thrilling finish for a trophy for the first Ashburton rider to reach his home town. The result was a dead heat between the two men, and it has ben decided to give two trophies. Lamberton, to whom Watson had conceded 6min, came through Ashburton alone. Not until 12 minutes later did Watson arrive, accompanied by Lamberton's co-marker, Weir, and D. Atiken, of Kaikoura. Watson had had a gruelling solo ride against a direct and strong head wind, but he picked up two 'minutes on Lamberton shortly after Ashburton was left The "Misery Van" Shortly after Ashburton, C. Wareham, of Kaikoura, who was second in the Waimate to Christchurch race, gave up and joined the already full "misery can." Wareham had not found the head wind to his liking and had lost his co-markers. Riding alone, R. J. Kennedy (Rangiora) off the 15mitt mark, was going very well, in marked contrast to other lone riders who were almost at walking pace and obviously waiting to become passengers on the "misery van." At Chertsey, there were two big bunches within 300 yards of each other. Of the back-markers, L. G. Fleming, off 13min, and D. Swanston, off 15min, were well up. • A surprise was found at Rakaia when a solitary rider, R. M. Stokes (Linwood) was checked in two miles ahead of the next in the field. Riding strongly, Stokes had opened up a huge and unprecedented break on the field. He had 37 miles to go to,the city, a difficult ride alone in such a wind, but the lead he had established was phenomenal. ' Past the Rakaia bridge, the two groups behind Stokes—but more than five minutes behind him—had coalesced. Miles and Yaxley, ' both of Kaikoura, were in prominent places, and Fleming, the only one of his mark to be anywhere near the front, was also well up. T. Smith (New Plymouth) was also riding well, and A. J. Annett (Yaldhurst) had not lost the good position he had held through the race, while his brothers, D. W. and G. M. Annett. were also with him. There were 22 all told in the bunch, and they were making strong progress.

At this stage the wind was almost at gale force and riders went all over the road in an attempt to make it easier. About four miles from Dunsandel. in the open road, and with no protection from the wind, Stokes was almost done, it seemed, and his lead was cut down to about a quarter of a mile. At length, with the gap rapidly closing, Stokes decided to wait for the ethers, and joined the leading men before Dunsandel was reached.

Sprint to Dunsandel There was close competition for the first rider to reach Dunsandel. arid a bunch of 19 came towards the township together. In a sprint for the first to cross a line, T. Smith, of New Plymouth, was the winner from J. Haines (New Brighton). Stokes, now with the bunch, was riding very well. The leading bunch dropped from IS to 10 in the space of two miles, with G. Leggett (Christchurch) riding very well- at the head. D. Swanston and L. G. Fleming, two men from back marks who had forged their way to the leaders, still held their positions, and were not unduly bothered by a very strong wind. Along the concrete road past Rolleston, the same riders, Leggett, Smith, Peebles, Peek, Swanston, Miles, Clemence, Sutherland, Fleming, and G. M. Annett still rode together, and it was difficult to see any one or any one group of these breaking away. The same riders, kept together for miles, and from them the first 10 to finish. Five of them came into the grounds together, for Swanston to beat Miles and Fleming in the run home.

THE RESULTS Detailed results were as follows: — H. M. S. D. Swanston (Christchurch) 6 0 6 1 B. G. Miles (Kaikoura) .. 623 7 2 L. G. Fleming (Ch.Ch.) .. 558 8 3 G. Leggett (Christchurch) .. 615 9 4 G. M. Annett (Yaldhurst) .. 6 3 10 5 B. Peebles (Timaru) .. 6 25 1 6 T. Smith (New Plymouth) 624 2 7 R. W. Peek (Christchurch) 6 14 3 8 I. Sutherland (Ch.Ch.) .. 6 954 9 A. E. Clemence (Ch.Ch.) .. 6 8.33 10 L. B. Carr (Papanui) .. 622 11 11 I. W. Digby (Ashburton) ..62335 12 K. A. Wilkie (Christchurch) 621 22 13 G. W. Prebble (Ch.Ch.) ..6 43 23 14 W. J. Lamberton (Lincoln) 613 51 15 A. E. Allen (Peel Forst) .. 6 33 8 16 R. Wildermoth (New Btn.) 638 3 17 R. M. Stokes (Linwood) .. 654 55 18 J. Haines (New Brighton) .. 658 56 19 N. W. Yaxley (Kaikoura) .. 654 57 20 C. V. Carr (Bromley) .. 7 616 21 F. Kirdy (Ealing) ..715 22 J. W. Jordan (Christchurch) 646 1 23 A. J. Annett (Yaldhurst) .. 716 8 24 R. B. Daly (Christchurch) .. 7 148 25 J. Parflt (Timaru) .. 724 40 26 L. J. Callan (Christchurch) 726 41 27 W. Rouse (Pareora) .. 734 42 28 S. T. Wilson (Kaiapoi) .. 718 58 29 W. G. Watt (Christchurch) 7 16 58 1-5 30 W. T. Cox (New Brighton) 735 50 31 D. McSherry (Sydenham) .. 747 56 32

PRESENTATION OF PRIZES

The presentation of prizes took place at the Alexandra Hall on Saturday night. Mr W J. Walter, president of the Mairehau Club, who presided, referred to the hard ride the competitors had had against one of the strongest easterly winds that had been experienced for some years on the day of the race. He said he regretted that because a protest against some of the riders several of the prizes would be held back until an enquiry was held. Mrs A. L. Moffet presented the Moffet challenge shield, which was given by Mr Moffet. Mrs W. J. Walter, the organiser of the race, presented the prizes, and Mr J. M. Coffey, the president of the North Canterbury Centre, congratulated the club on reviving the race and receiving such a splendid entry. The special prizes presented during the evening were as follows: — One hundred and twelve mile New Zealand road championship, blue riband to the rider establishing fastest time: L. G. Fleming. Second fastest time: D. Swanston. First Mairehau Club member to finish: L. G, Fleming. First new rider to finish not having previously competed under New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union rules, and not receiving any other prize: W. T. Cox. First rider "to Hnish between 20 and 35 minutes not receiving any other prize: J. M. Coffey's gold medal: R. WUdermoth. , Trophies given by the Tinwald Club for the first rider from their club to pass through Ashburton: G. Johnson and L. Arnst (dead heat). First rider to pass through Dunsandel (prize given by Dunsandel Club): T. Smith. WOMAN GIVES UP ATTEMPT ON RECORD Aft attempt to set a record for a' woman cyclist from Timaru to Christchurch was made by Mrs M. E. Peach, of Ferry road, on Saturday, but was relinquished at Ashburton because of the strong head wind. Mrs Peach, , who had cycled from the city to Ti-

maru on Friday, left Timaru some 25 minutes before the first of the riders in the Timaru to Christchurch race, but found tHe' weather altogether unfavourable for making a record. NOVICE RACE VETERAN RIDER TAKES PART A novice race "over 25 miles finished at the trotting grounds on Saturday afternoon before the finish of the Timaru, Christchurch race. The oldest rider in the race was J. Page, who celebrated his seventieth birthday on Saturday. It was his first bicycle race, and he finished gamely, although some time after the others. Results:— I. Johnston .. .. .. 1 E. DaMel 2 V. Groom .. ~ ..3 G. Pike 4, C. Slattery 5, C. Woods 6, A. Harris 7, H. Taylor 8, G; Eddihgton 9. Time, Ihr ,l9min 55sec. Fastest time—C. Coman, lhr 15min 16 2-ssec. LIN WOOD AMATEUR CLUB The Linwood Amateur Cycling Club held a race on Saturday over a course of 124 miles at Dallington., The scratch men, C. Allen and B. . Williams, gave away three minutes to the limit man, A. Meadows. Meadow* led from start to finish. Williams beat Allen by. half n wheel. Results: —A. Meadows (3mjn), time SOmin 40sec, 1; C. Lewis (2m!ti), 29min 7 l-ssce, 2; B. Williams (scr), 27min 42sec, 3; 0. Allen (scir), 27min 43 l-s»cc, '4; H. Murray (Drain), 3limn 20 3-3 sec, 5, B. Williams gained fastest time, and C. Allen second fastest time.