Brown Seeks 3rd Title In Timaru-Chch. Race

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30555, 25 September 1964, Page 18

Brown Seeks 3rd Title In Timaru-Chch. Race

The efforts of the experienced Hornby club racing cyclist, K. Brown, to complete a notable hat-trick by adding the New Zealand 100-mile championship to the national 50 and 75-mile titles he has won in the last two weeks will command much of the interest in tomorrow’s road race from Timaru to Christchurch.

The race, one of the classic events in NewZealand cycling, will be conducted by the Christchurch Cycling Club and sponsored by the I.G.A. organisation for the second year. A new and interesting course, and a strong field, should help produce another fine race in a series which began in 1899.

Brown will achieve a unique feat if he wins the title, for no other cyclist has gained the three national championships in the same year.

He will be starting from scratch with last year’s winner, F. Hooper (Hornby), who was second in the recent 75-mile event, B. Spicer (Ashburton), who was second last year and who has taken six fastest times in Timaru this season, A. O’Hagan, a strong Australian rider, and J. Swanston, holder of the North Island 75-mile title and .third in the national 50-mile’ event. Among other prominent riders in the race are T. Hartill (Greymouth), the winner of the New Zealand junior 75-mile title last year, J. Blackmun (Christchurch), the present holder of this title, and M. Ellis (Auckland), winner of the Round the Mountain event last year. The field will set out from Caroline Bay and will hug the main south road until the Rakaia river bridge is crossed. The competitors will swing right at this point and pass through Leeston and Springston and race round the Lincoln College corner to Prebbleton. The field will return to the main south road via Springs and Garvins roads and will finish outside the

sponsor’s Hornby warehouse. The Timaru-to-Christchurch race is rich in history. In the early days of the century competitors rode over rqads heavily coated with riverbed shingle. Before the Rangitata river was bridged the course, wound through Geraldine to Hinds along a road that was clay in many parts. In fine weather the riders were coated with a fine dust; when it rained they were covered with jnud. A puncture was a calamity. The high pressure tyre had to be removed, the tube taken out. the hole discovered and patched. In present day racing an experienced competitor can change his tyre and re'sume his journey within a minute and a half. Some of the notable names in New Zealand cycling have been linked with the Timaru-to-Christchurch race. Phil O’Shea was the last rider to take both first place and fastest time, 51 years ago, and the feat has not been duplicated since. Now in his seventies, O’Shea will be among the spectators tomorrow. Since the first race in 1899 a member of the Arnst family has always been among the starters. On one occasion the redoubtable Les Arnst and his four sons took part in the same event. This year I. Arnst will uphold the tradition.

The Swanstons have had their successes in the race, too. Don Swanston, sen., won the event on one occasion and gained fastest time on another. His elder son, Don Swanston, jun., performed with credit in the event also. Tomorrow the younger son, John, will match his ability with that of Brown and the other scratch riders.