CYCLING

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21941, 16 November 1936, Page 7

CYCLING

S.I. PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FIFTY-MILE EVENT WON BY | I). JOHNSTON — i The 50 miles South Island professional I championship road race, held under the ! auspices of the New Brighton Cash 1 Cycling Club, was decided on Saturday : afternoon in ideal conditions. Forty-eight | entries were received for the race, which 1 started and finished at the Bower Hotel, j North Beach, and traversed a return i course to a point a mile and a half below | Fernside, via Rangiora. The winner was 1 D. Johnston (Christchurch). i The New Brighton Cash Club has had I good entries in all of its races this season, | but Saturday's field included the strongest j scratch team which has left the mark ; for some years. The times were good : considering that part of the course was ' over shingle roads. The scratch riders. S. Weir. R. Slack. A. Clemence. I. Sutherland, R. Suther- i land, and A. Mugford (Christchurch), and | I. Newlove (Rolleston), conceded a limit ! of 20 minutes to the 57-year-old veteran | rider, D. J. Wilson, of Waimate. i Newlove, Clemence, Mugford, and I. [ Sutherland left the other scratch men. j near Fernside on the outward trip. John- | ston had been riding with the leading i bunch from Rangiora on the return jour- | ney, and made excellent progress over the ] last stages. j Newlove's performance was the out- i standing feature of the race. After riding consistently all the way, he left his comarkers near Marshland, caught the j leaders half a mile from home, and , finished very strongly. He was beaten by only two lengths, but gained fastest ! time. Until Johnston and Newlove began : to put on the extra pace over the last I few miles, L. Pither (New Brighton), oil; GJinin, who had kept with the leaders, | was the popular fancy, but dropped back in the final sprint. j The veteran. Wilson, who had to make 1 (he pace for a considerable part of the i distance, rode very well until the return ' journey was begun, . The officials were:—Starter and time- ' keeper, Mr W. J. Walter; handleappers. i Messrs P. C. Lucas and B. F. Lcalham. i check stewards, Messrs S. Arnst, E. A. ' McCaskell, and H. H. Williamson; road ' stewards, Messrs A. G. Donohue, I. J. i Lester, M. Delamain, M. Horner, P. Randall. F. Burn: pace observers'. Messrs W j Hopkins and A. E. Culverhouse. ! After the race, at the request of Mr 1 W. J. Waiter, the Mayor of New Brighton (Mr E. L. Smith), presented the prizes. Mr Smith congratulated the club on the progress which it had made during the two seasons of its existence, and its ability to arrange successfully a race of the impottfanee of the one which had just been field. Progress of the Hare i At the Styx bridge, the 10-minule rider.had caught the- IG-minute bunch, and at Chaneys, J. Henderson, who was leading ■ the bunch, was riding well, and had put • the speed up three miles an hour. With 37 minutes gone, Wilson from the limit was still leading, and riding stronglv, but he was joined at Woodend by C. R. Hogan (Minin', C. Cox, H. J. Robertson, J. ■ O’Connor and B. C. Blsth tl6mini, and L. Arnst U7min). Robertson led the field through Rangiora, and won the prize for the "town sprint.” He was followed by Cox and Blyth. and close behind were Arnst and Conner. I Cox was leading with Robertson and Blyth at the turning point. Fifty yards behind were Arnst and Conner, and the next bunch, Henderson. Austin, Newell, ; McGovern, and Parkin followed at a distance of 100 yards.* Two of the scratch ' men, Spence Weir and R. Sutherland, retired with punctures. At the turn, the ' scratch riders. I. Sutherland. Clemence, Mugford, and Newlove, were holding time : by li minutes from the 6imin bunch, Carr, Pither, Hobson, Leggett, and Swanson, and at Woodend the scratch team j were only two minutes behind the 6Jmin I men. j Except for one or two stragglers, the 1 field became dividend into two sections, at Kaiapoi, when the 6i-minute men over- | took the next bunch, comprising all of, IHe other teams further out in the han- : dicap. At this stage Hendersc i still i;cpt (he lead from a bunch of about 20 At Chaneys (he leader.- wove Pither. Carr, Leggett. Johnston, Wildormoth. Hordeison. Austin, Green, Digb\ , and J<>!i. find-fie--scratch team ;jyoreJcjss-Uihu twai; -- v"

niinutf— behind. N\ - . .scratch i icier to join : Tlte platings were . - D. Johnston > Chi i.-i c.. 2hrs 17mm l'-.-rr I. Newlove ißollCiior, i 14>ec \V. Joh I A'iibl. no .1 • 17mm 14 D Green • ITii.in l.i'Ce R. Wiidel iv.n:.. . Cn: liirs lomhi Ic-rr L. Carr t ( icha.v.. lliv.in an.'tc L Pittu-r Nee. Bum; - • 12mm