Sportsman’s Notebook Australian Cyclists In Six-Day Race

Press, Volume C, Issue 29634, 3 October 1961, Page 13

Sportsman’s Notebook Australian Cyclists In Six-Day Race

Australia's four competitors in this year’s Dulux six-day Auckland to Wellington cycle race form a powerful team capable of extending the best road men in New Zealand. The Australians, A GrindaL D. Gee, b. Drew and K. Kilmartin, were the first four men home in the recent national championships and each has an impressive competitive record. The race sponsors invited two Australians to compete in the race last year. Twenty, year-old Grindal, rode well to fill seventh place. The other Australian, the Olympian, y. Brazier, found the pace too hot and withdrew on the fourth stage of the 650-mile race from Auckland to Wellington. Grindal is again first choice in the Australian team this year and is riding even better than he was 12 months ago. TTiis season he has won the Victorian road championship, the national championship (for the second successive year), and the fourday Tour of Tasmania. Last Saturday he took first place and recorded fastest time In a gruelling, 147-mile handicap event in Victoria, his homo State. He is a patternmaker by occupation. Gee, a M-y ear-old photographer from Victoria, is said

by Victorian officials to be potentially the beat road rider ever produced in the State. He was second to Grindal in both the state and national championehips this season and finished seventh in the Tour of Tasmania. He ia also an accomplished track rider. The third visiting rider, Drew, la road champion of New South Wales for the second successive season. Last season he won five New South Wales road classics over distances from 30 to 128 miles. His malor success this season has been winning, with ether Australians, the teams’ race during a tour of Noumea. A 21-year-old draughtsman, he recorded fastest time in the major road race of New South Wales, a 128-mile event from Goulboa to Sydney, last Saturday. H>e fourth place-getter in this year’s Australian championship. Kilmartin. of Tasmania, to champion of his state and to a moat experienced rider. Ho is aged 25 and has been riding for nine years. He had little national suceeas until he took fourth place in the Australian 125mile championship in 1957, but this season he has won several major raeee, including the two-day Tour of Tasmania. He is the beat hill elimber in Australia and should be more at home on the course than the other Australian*. who are used to flatter courses. Kilmartin is a boilermaker by occupation. The Australians arrive on October 23. a week before the race starts. • ♦ ♦

Startling Round When the Ctwietetawch profeeaiooal golfer, R, J. Chaxiea, had hta flrot round at Shirley last week after his return from overseas, he was, for once, eclipsed by his partner, A. W. Robinson. who had a starting round of 9. Robinson, n Canterbury Froyberg Rose Bowl player, was seven under scratch after playing 12 holer, and had bogey figures for the ramaitMtar of th* round. Fran th* third te the twelfth, he had seven birds**, a fontaaUe performance. Robinson, on his day a superb putter, holed thro* putts of about 20 feed, three more from 10 foot out. The course was not ptaying fota, and Robinson and Oharies were off the back tees. Robinaon'< birdies were at the third, fourth, sixth, eigMh, tenth, eleventh and twelfth botes. But at tat

eighteenth, he massed a putt of six feet for another birdie and a round of 94. Later in the week Charles also broke 70 two or three times.

♦ * * League Scorers

Games played and points scored by members cd the New Zealand Rugby League team at present touring England are:—

♦ * * New Gymnasia

Th* new gymnasia at Papanui High School end the Shirley Boys' High School, which will be valuable assets to the schools' amenities, will be opened next month. Costing about £14,000 and assisted by a £4900 pound for pound subsidy from the govecnsnent, the 17ft by 40ft Shirley Boys' High School gymnasium ia incoroorated with 2000 eq ft of changing room, kitchen sad storage space, which opens out on to th* swimming pool and tennis courts.

With the same floor axes a* the Shirley Boy’s High School gymnasium, th® £7OOO building at Pspenui High School is linked to the swimming pool by means of a covered way that has been built in with the present dressing sheds. Physical education ekasero are conducted at the moment in the school’s original assembly hall but the hall will be continued to be used for extra classes once the new gymnasium ia opened.

* * * Billiards >

Th* leading Canterbury billiards players, B. BUrkness and E. Simons, and the winner and runner-up in the recent New Zealand snooker championships, R. Franks and T. Yesberg, have already appeared in two successful exhibitions during September, and there will be another six exhibition evenings this month. Klrisnero and Simons will ptay billiard* at Ashburton on October 10, and at the New Brighton Working Men’s Club on October 17. Franks and Yesberg will play at Ashburton tonight, at the New Brighton Working Men’s dub on October 10, and at the Richmond Working Men’s dub on October 24. The serie* will end with a combined evening of billiards, snooker with some trick shot* at the Chrtatcburch Working Men’s dub on October 31.

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