CYCLING Triumphs For Newcomers In Two Classics

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30153, 10 June 1963, Page 7

CYCLING Triumphs For Newcomers In Two Classics

Tun classic races were held on Saturday. The South bridge AJthintic Club conducted the New Zealand 25-mile championship for senior and junior cash riders: the Christchurch Amateur Club held its annual Ashburton to Cisrisichurch event. 25-Mile Championship K Jeffery' (Christchurch). Who only recently joined the cash ranks, won his first national title when he outsprinted his two co-markers. B. Spicer (Ashburton) and F. Hooper ( Hornby f for best time. J Blackmun (Horror) rode exceptionally well and took the junior title. Both championship winners cov. ered the 25 miles in less than an hour. The race was held on a block course of four laps. During the first lap. the bunches held together. but during the second

lap they began to close up. The two limit men, C. Willcox and W. Campion, led the field through for the start of the third lap but they had dropped ground to the 9V 2 min riders, who were now only two minutes behind them, having picked up four minutes of their handicap. Half a minute later came the 7Jmin riders and they were now only half a minute in front of the 6min bunch with a similar margin back to the 3li and IJmin bunches. These had now formed into one bunch. Six and a quarter minutes behind the leaders came the break men, E. McCann (Hornby), Blackmun and W. Ryan (Timaru:, who were riding very strongly. I. Coe (Timaru) had fallen back from this mark. The scratch men came through Jmin behind break having picked up one minute on the break bunch with half the distance covered.

At the end of the third lap the leaders had been caught by the riders off the 6min mark. In the last lap, they were caught by the large bunch following them and when they neared the finish there were 16 riders to fight out the final sprint for the major places. Nearing the line. N. Woodgate (Hornby) managed to forge through to the front but was pressed all the way by G. Peters and R. Stakes, both West Coast men. It was a very exciting finial with only one second separating the first 16 riders.

The final sprint for championship honours was a very fast one between the three scratch men. There was no lead out as, well before the finish, the riders spread across the road and the pace was really on. Until 75 yards before the line it was doubtful who would gain the decision but Jeffery managed to gain a little on the other two to win by half a length from Hooper with Spicer a similar distance back, in third place. Results were:

N. Woodgate Hornby (6min), 61:32 5,1; G. Peters. West Coast (4Jmin), 60:17.7, 2; R. Stokes. West Coast (43min), 60:17.9. 3; T. Hartill, West Coast (4Jmin), 60:18.1, 4: J. Willcox. Christchurch (7Jmin). 62:48.3. 5; J. Andressand, Timaru (44min). 60:18:5, 6. Senior Championship K. Jeffery. Christchurch (scr), 58:41

Junior Championship J Blackmun. Hornby (IJmln). 59:37. Ashburton To Christchurch R. Fowler. (Avon) was the winner of the Christchurch Amateur Cycling Club’s annual Ashburtoh-to-Christchurch race. Fowler, riding from the lljmin mark, proved himself to be a great tactition: he used his experience to good advantage to get through to the front with sufficient time to line himself up for the final sprint. As was expected, the bunches, which were large ones, linked up early in the race. Just after crossing the Rakaia bridge the first five bunches were together and riding at a steady pace but not exceptionally fast. Seven minutes later came another big bunch comprising riders from the 15jmin. 13Jmin and lljmin marks. This bunch, going over the overhead -bridge. were really turning on the speed, but from there to Dunsandel the leaders improved their position to be nearly lOmin ahead of the next bunch.

The final sprint for fastest time was a triumph for T. Tabak (Papanui). who last year was riding as a novice, but is now* riding on scratch in open company. Tabak turned on a brilliant final sprint to take time honours from his club mote. W. Thorpe. Results were:— R Fowler. Avon (lljmin) 2:8:17. 1; A. Dixon. Pananui (ISJmin). .2:13:172. 2: P. Blyth. Christchurch (lljmin). 2:8:17.4. 3: R. Fitzgerald, Christchurch i26min>. 2:22:47 6 4: C. Farrant Avon (lljmin). 2:8:178. 5: M. Tones. Papanui (26min). 2:23:5. 6. Fastest Times—T. Tabak. Papanui (scr). 2:1:22: W T'horpe Papanui (scr). 2:1:23.