CYCLING Gorges Event Won By L. Payne

Press, Volume C, Issue 29633, 2 October 1961, Page 15

CYCLING Gorges Event Won By L. Payne

On Saturday the Christchurch Amateur Cycling Club held its “round the [gorges” event and the Christchurch Cash Club conducted its annual Timaru-to-Christchurch race. Both races finished on the Lincoln road extension, but the starts were so arranged that the amateur event was ovgr about one hour before the cash riders came in. There was an exceptionally large crowd at the finishes. Competitors in each event experienced light rain at times. “Round the Gorges” L. Payne (Palmerston North) rode an outstanding race to take first place and fastest time, the first time that any rider has scored the double. Some riders condemned the conditions, especially certain sections of the road, but Payne, in returning a time of 4 hours 16 minutes 12 seconds, was only 12 seconds slower than J. Holloway last year. Payne's time on Saturday was the third fastest since the race was first held in 1928.

Of the whole distance only 22 miles were off tar-sealed roads. On some sections of the road, which was under reconstruction. there was much mudP. Wood (Avon), the present Canterbury 100-mile champion, took, second fastest time, finishing only 1.6 seconds behind Payne. Over the first 20 miles the 38minute men rode at a steady 22 miles an hour but R. Prince (Avon) dropped the speed to between 15 and 18 miles an hour each time he went to the front to take a lap. The riders on this mark could ill afford to lose this time by slower laps. They failed to take full advantage of I the downward grades over the [rolling country around Loburn. At the end of 28 miles the (leading riders off 52 minutes ■came off the tar-sealed road on to shingle when E. Barnden f(Avon) seemed to be more at home than the other three. At I Bullocks creek he started to 'ride away from his co-markers land opened up a very big gap. His was a hard ride on his own land after another six miles just beyond the Garry river he was picked up. From the soft conditions on the road the riders nearing Oxford became splattered with mud, which was caking on their faces. Descending the hill into Oxford the leaders were A Trotter (Papanuil. B. Aitken and B. Mugford (Avon) and its the sprint through Oxford Trotter held on to beat the other two. There three passed through Oxford four minutes ahead ol riders from the 38 and 30-min-ute marks. Over the next six minutes came four riders who had been dropped by their respective bunches and then 101 minutes behind the leaders came the 23-minute men. riding very strongly and still intact. Three minutes and a half later came riders from the 15minute mark but they hadi lost L Manners (Avon) and R Marshall (Invercargill). Twentytwo minutes behind the leaders came the scratch and break riders, who were now together Their ranks were depleted tor the scratch men; G. Hill and B. Berry (Christchurch), had retired and J. Holloway (Bienheirn) was back with a puncture. J. Swanston (Christchurch) was off the break mark. Just past Oxford the back bunch comprised 10 riders and they were chasing D. Wood. E. Hughes (Avon), W. Hensley.' K Jeffery (Christchurch). M. Taylor had fallen back off this bunch with a puncture. At the end of 52 miles Jeffery was dropped by the other three. J. Ciemence (Papanui). who had been dropped by his co-markers and was riding on his own. had I a puncture. A few stragglers were passed and then tbe 23minute men, still intact, were chasing the leading bunch, which now comprised Trotter, Aitken, G. Painter. L. Bishop . (Avon) and F. Martley (Papanut). At the end nt 57 miles the leaders were litill the same and were only U minutes ahead of the 23-minute men. who were leading Hensley, D. Wood. Hughes and Ciemence. Eight minutes behind the leaders came the scratch and break men. Between Derfleld and Bumham the loading bunch had broken up and the leaders were now Martley. Bishop. J. Mei Rae (Blenheim) and B. Hack . (Papanui). As these four turned on to the Main road Bishop clapped on the pace. Two min- . utes behind the leaders came : riders from the 23-minute mark i to the scratch mark. Over the . last miles the back men im- . proved their position greatly and : not far after passing Rolieston they linked up with toe leaders. > Tho pace was still on to the i finish when Payne want through . to the front to win from Glennie by a narrow margin with I D. Wood third. Abbreviations used in the results are:—Palmerston North (P.N.), Blenheim (B.), Avon ■ (A.). Invercargill <!.). Pananui i (P.i. Christchurch (C.). Tutary ■ Results were:— ■ i L. Payne (P.N.) (scr), 4:16.12. 1: J Glennie (B.) (6<nin). 4:2* ■I 122 2; D. Wood (A.).. (iknini. I 431.13. 3: G. Sycamore (I.) I ifcnln;. 424.13.3, «; H Bush (P.i ( I23min). 436.13.4. 3; F Wood t (A.) (scr), 4 16.13.8. 6: W. Hen-

Bishop (A.) <33mia), 4:40.31. 9; J. Mcßae (B.) (23min), 4;43.3.2 10. Umaru To Christchurch B. Lambert (Taranaki) was the first man home in the Ti-maru-to-Christchurch event. This race was first introduced in 1899 and apart from breaks during the First and Second World Wars has been held each year. Lambert rode from the 30-minute mark and outsprinted riders off the 20mlnute mark for first. Conditions at Timaru were poor and there was a light drizzle when the two limit riders, L. Arnst and A. Shaw, left the start at 10.45 am. The scratch men left at 1135. There was a cold wind at the start but as the race progressed conditions improved. There was only one scratching from the field of 47.

The bunches kept together for toe first half of the journey but near Ashburton they begin to link up. The first riders through Ashburton were the two limit men who were still leading by 15 minutes over many riders from the 37, 42 and 47-mlnute marks between Ashburton and Chertsey. Sixteen minutes after the leaders came another big bunch comprising riders from the 20. 24 and 30minute marks. Four minutes after this bunch came I. Arnst (Christchurch), who had been dropped by his co-markers off 48 minutes. He was followed five minutes later by J. Shlmmin (Ashburton), who had also been dropped by the 20-minute men. One minute behind Shlmmin came riders from the 10 ’W K-toinute marks who were riding very strongly at this point, two minutes behind them was R Wright (Dunedin), who had been dropped from his of 24 (ninutes. iTe next riders through were ! Spu %L * Ashburton) and R. Craig (Christchurch) who had broken away from their comarkers off the break mark of five minutes. They were now one minuts clear of R. Hill (Dunedin), another break rider Spicer and Craig were now four minutes and a half clear of the scratch men and had only dropped half a minute to them in the first 59 miles. Between Dunsandel and Burnham Arnst and Shaw had been passed and were now well back.

The field had now begun to close bp and with the pace on several riders were drooped ov ,? r . th * fina l stages. Four miles from the finish there were 11 riders In the leading bunch x ere , »eaaj»E another nine mln ute« and a , Thea two minutes and a half later, came Spicer. yards from the finish Lambert made a fast forward move and held off a length. Four other riders were close up to dispute the minor places but J Willcox held on F-.l* ke T th .t d J”®?* from Y Frew. In the final sprint for time honours there wa s a lot but K. Brown (Christchurch) crossed the line ahead of D Swanston (Christchurch) to gain the decision. A protest lodged by Swanston on the grounds of interference by Brown was not upheld. Undoubtedly the greatest ride of the day was that put up by Spicer, for he had a solo ride for about 4C> miles. In spite of toe favourable conditions Brown s time of 4 hrs 23min 10 sec was comparatively slow compared with the times of the last four years. Spicer, in returning 4hr Mmin 43sec took junior fastest time. Abbreviations used in the results are:—Taranaki (T). Christchurch (C), Stratford (S) Timsru (Tim), Ashburton (A) Results were:—B. Lambert (T) (30m:n) 4:39:34, 1; P. Cook (C) (20min) 43034.1 2: J. Willcox (C) (24min», 4'33.34. 3; Y. Frew (C) (26mln), 42M34.2. 4; A. Mason (S) < : FB,gUSOn <Tlm) (37m to>

Fastest times:—K Brown (C) (scr) 423:10, 1; 0, Swanston (C) (scr) 4:23:10.1, 2: E. Gluestein (A) (scr) 4:23:102 3 Junior fastest time:—B. Spicer (A) (Smin) 4:28:43.

N.I. Classic Press Association) WELLINGTON. October 1. A strong breeze and a puncture did not prevent the Poneke youiigster D. R. Thomson, from S’to'.'to* *he Palmerston NorthWellington cycling classic yesterday. Thomson, off the five-minute marie, rode with such tremendous determination that, with the Empire Games just around the corner, he must have given the I *b<St* <:tOrs someltl ‘ ng t 0 Thomson’s’ win—and third (latest time—was all the more meritorious to that the event is toroly won by a back-marker. sSsssa-tu I *art«t j( time: Ganderton, 4hr

W«rH Walter-wtight TlUe. —Benny (Kid) Paret, of Cuba, regained the world welter-weight boxing title on a split decieibn over Emile Griffith at Madison Square Garden last evening The Cuban had lost the title last April when Griffith knocked him out in the thirteenth round of a championship W in Mianu.-New York. October 1.