Westport Riders In First Four Places

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31162, 12 September 1966, Page 7

Westport Riders In First Four Places

The little Westport Cycling Club received a big boost when its riders filled the first four positions in the twenty-first anniversary Ashburton-to-Christchurch 50-miles race on Saturday. More important, perhaps, from Canterbury’s point of view, the Christchurch club’s big race demonstrated the growing strength of cycling, particularly among juniors, on the West Coast.

R. J. Young, the winner, and G. G. Neill, who was in the sprint for first place, are both still juniors and can be expected to prove strong oppositioi to the local riders in next Saturday’s Canterbury championships. The other major honour in the race went to C. B. Fitzgerald, of the Christchurch clut. Fitzgerald beat J. H. Cleary (Papanui) in the sprint for fastest time, by half-a-length.

The finest effort was by R. D. Mann (Papanui). Mann was off scratch with only D. Jones

(Avon) as T. J. Tabak, J. S. Danielson and J. Sneddon did not start. Then Jones was sick and Mann rode the 50 miles alone to break 2hr by 14sec. a performance that the Christchurch club quickly recognised with a special prize. In spite of the fine efforts of the Westport riders, the feeling

remains that the strong bunch off s*min, if it had stayed to gether, could have gone through the rest of the field to win and produce a fast time. But 1. D McLean (Papanui), very nearly the strongest rider in the bunch, was left straggling at the start, and when W. W Thorpe (Papanui) dropped, only four were left. This was not enough to haul in all the front and middle-markers although there was a big bunch in the sprint for fifth, which G. R. Sword won. The strong tail-wind kept the weaker riders in front longer than usual and no breakaways were made from the stronger bunches. The only serious attempt was by P. A. Skilling (Avon) and R. J. Hogari (Papanui) about half-way, but Cleary dragged the bunch up again and it stayed together to the sprint. Hogan led out and Fitzgerald and Cleary came round on each side, with Fitzgerald hitting the front and holding his lead. Meanwhile. P. H. C. Bedford (Papanui) ran into Hogan's back wheel when the latter braked, and crashed. also bringing down Skilling. Skilling was not hurt, but Bedford suffered abrasions to the head, both arms and right leg. Young and Neill, threading their way through the front stragglers in the last 10 miles were by themselves in the sprint for first place and, as apparently often happens in tneir club races, Young sprinted Neill after sitting back while Neill did the work. Abbreviations used in the results are: Avon (A.). Christchurch (C.). Papanui (P.). Blenheim IB.), Timaru (T.). and Westport (W.). Ashburton-to-Christchurch 50 miles: R. J. Young (W., llmin) I, G. G. Neill (W„ 13min) 2, R S. Merry (W., ISmln) 3, G. T Winton (W.. 18min) 4, G. R. Sword (A., simin) 5, G. J. Day iP., 13min) 6. B. E. Holland IP., 51mln) 7. W. C. C. M. Janus 'C.. Simin) 8. D. B. Hewson IT., Simin) 9, D. J. Savage (A., s)min) 10. Fastest time: C. B. Fitzgerald <C., 3min), 1:51:44, 1: J. H. Cleary <P.. 3min), 1:51:45. 2: P. W. Neilson (8.. 3min), 1:51:48, 3: B G. Stockwell IP.). 1:51:50. 4: R. J. Hogan (P.. 3mln), 1:51:52, 5. Fastest time was gained by the scratch bunch by only 3sec in the Mairehau Novice Wheelman’s Laycock Trophy 13) miles on Saturday. The winner of the sprint was A. Pavlell and J. Hood second. Middle markers dominated the platings with B Gibbs winning well from A. Barford. Results: Laycock Trophy 13) miles: ’B Gibbs i6min) 1. A. Barford i4)min) 2. J. Blake (Bmin) 3. S. Sandford iSmin) 4. A. Stewart <4lmin> 5. Fastest time: A. Pavlell <scr), 34 36. 1; J. Hood (scr), 34:36.5, 2.