CHAMPIONSHIP CYCLING

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22492, 29 August 1938, Page 3

CHAMPIONSHIP CYCLING

♦ - FIFTY-MILE RACE IN WINI 5 AND RAIN 5 ; C. W. SHILTON WINS IN SPIT! ! OF MISHAP t c w. Shilton, of the Rangiora Club ■ won the Canterbury amateur cycling championship on Saturday afternoon 5 when the fifty-mile race was ridden undei " unpleasant conditions. A tail wind carried the riders easily along on the firsl s stage, from Islington to Bankside, but the * return was made difficult by rain and ar even stronger wind than earlier. The t limes recorded were very good under the j conditions, which have never been so bac since this event was first held. The scratct ‘ pack made the outward journey, i.e„ the r first 25 miles, in 49 minutes, and the re--1 turn in 73 minutes. S Shilton’s win was the more remarkable . tor an incident on the return journey which seriously handicapped him. At the > Selwyn railway crossing the riders in the ' scratch pack did not slow down, and the} 1 took the bumps over the rails at a speec which threw oft the chains on the tna- " chines of Shilton and one other rider The pack gained about half a mile before Shilton was going again, and on the Selwyn bridge they were sitting up in theu seats and looking round, almost waitin* for the unlucky riders. For several miles Shilton seemed tc make no headway in his effort to catch up again, and, in fact, the officials ir the car following seemed to think he could not pick up the loss in time for the final sprint. When the car, carrying alsc - a reporter of “The Press.” left the riders s behind eight miles before the finish, Shilton was still well back, but he surprisec the judges, who knew what had happened by appearing at the finish in front of the scratch pacK. Shilton’s effort over the _ last few miles showed that he must have « had a considerable reserve of energy ii P face of the wind and rain.

Shock Tactics of No Avail The events which led up to the incident were amusing. Shilton had been leading the pack on the stretches near Dunsandel and giving them a 100 yards sprint every mile or so to tire them, but after several of these apparently useless spurts the pack decided to let him go. Shilton raced [) out in front, and when he was about 100 yards away he looked round. Surprised that the other riders were no longer going to play his game, be dropped bade and contented himself with a steady ride until his chain slipped. F. J. Grose, who was expected to show E up well, had bad luck- TTic new - put on the day before, broke at Bankslde. on the way home, and he came back- wiiti the “misery waggon.” At the turn the scratch riders were 3min 20see behind the five-minute own, so >, that they had gained Imin 4Qsec. At ttae - post, however, they were 4min S9sec be- * hind, this being due to Shilton's mishap. Results at the Winning Post The first arrival at the finish, and the winner of the handicap event, was A. J. ;t Harris. leading from J. T. Harris bv about e nine inches. His time was 2hr 6min Usee. n Technical Club won the Soon-Service Challenge Cup for the inter-club teams* e competition with 12 points. The tropfey e for the first Technical Club rider not reel ceiving any other prize went to A. W. y. Maclachlan. and the Papanui rider winning a cup under the same conditions was e C. E. Sullivan. The championship placings were: C. W. Shilton (Rangiora). scr. 1; A. J. lo (Papanui), scr, 2; C. E. Sullivan (FapannU. f scr, 3. " e Tlie handicap event placings ti.e_ the ie finishing riders in order of their reaching y the post) were:—A. J. Harris (Technical), d handicap 7min. 2hr Smin 15sec; J THarris .Technical). 7min. 2hr Smin IS 1-5 r. sec; E. _A. Rondel (Papanui). Sbain. 2Sir ■e Bmm 15 2-ssec: W. Green < Technical >. I- 7mm. 2hr 6min ISsec; D. F. ODomdl ir (Technical). Smin. 2hr Smin ITsec: P. F. g Harwood (Technical). Smin. 2hr 7min lOsec; C. W. Shilton (Rangiora >. scr. 2hr o 2mm llsec; A. J. Lancaster * Papanui!. hj scr. 2hr 2min 11 2-ssec; C. E. Sullivan n (Papanui). scr. 2hr 2min 12sec; A. W. Mario Jachlan (Technical), Smin. 2hr 7min I3seet a J* J- Taylor (Papanui). scr, 2hr 2mtn IS ;o 2-ssec-*s rn® record for the race Grose's 1- “me, Ihr 55min Hsec. put up last year, d —— ; 1. Do you want to sell your heme? 16 Read and use “The Press” Classified . advertisements. The quickest rent* j n between Buyer and Seller. 12 wror* Is. 3 insertions 2a Sd.