Senior Cycling Title To T. J. Tabak
Canterbury has three new road cycling champions and, on the face of it, very few senior riders capable of riding a 100-mile scratch race.
In the provincial championships at Leithfield on Saturday, T. J. Tabak (Avon) rode the senior field into submission to win his first Canterbury title in this race; B. G. Stockwell (Papanui), last year’s novice winner, outsprinted two other juniors to win the 50-mile title; and J. W. Beresford (Mairehau), a second-year cyclist, won the novice 15 miles in a big sprint finish. It wai an absorbing day's racing, from the start of the junior race at 9 a.m., until the last senior, C. Leppens. c.me in at 5 p.m., and the three races were distinctly different. The senior race developed Into a virtual time trial from four miles, when Tabak took off from the bunch with W. W. Thorpe (Papanui), until the end when the 17 starters were weeded down to five finishers —including the middle-aged Leppens and a first-year rider. D. X. Day (Papanui). As far as the other riders were concerned, they did not know Tabak was starting until almost the time to leave because he was warming up well out of sight. It mattered little for he shook the field with his breakaway, and at 40 miles only seven riders with any chance remained: Tabak and Thorpe, by themselves, 2Jmin ahead of R. J. Hogan, R. D. Mann, J. S. Danielson (Papanui), P. A. Skilling and D. J. Savage (Avon). However, that lap decided the course of the race when Danielson pulled out ill, Skilling withdrew suffering from the heat, and Savage crashed. The two front riders picked up Day in the fifth lap (he was then lapped) but Mann, riding by himself, had picked up IGsec, the only leeway gained in the race.
At a’bout 55 miles. Thorpe dropped back to Mann and Hogan who were then together but the pressure from Tabak gave him a 4min lead: this was increased to 4jmin at 70 miles; and Rmin about 10 miles later. He rode the last half-mile with • fiat back tyre.
Thorpe withdrew at 16 miles and Hogan sprinted Mann for second place to cap a season of consistent improvement. Mann was quite ill after the finish and so dissatisfied with his form that he declared himself unavailable for the Canterbury team Strong Effort
Stockwell had to withstand all the attacking D. Jones (Avon), last year’s winner of the junior 30-miles, could offer, to win the title for himself at the age of 16. Jones, without a great reputation as a sprinter, tried from the start to shake Stockwell and D. B Hewson (Timaru) but they were on his wheel throughout. Jones’ pressure reduced the field to five as early as 16 miles, with G. G. Neill (Westport) surprisingly off the back, and at 25 miles. B. P. Whitfield (Papanui) and R. J. Young (Westport) were dropped. The rest of the race then followed a fairly regular pattern with Jones trying to rid himself
of the two good sprinters but not wearing Stockwell down enough to reduce his finishing ijbility. Stockwell won by half a wheel with Hewson a tired length or two back. Whitfield finished freshly after his best performance in a race of any importance. Novice Event Of the 30-odd entries in the novice race, a bunch of 20 stayed together to contest the sprint which Beresford won by two lengths from the “dark horse” of the field, D. R. Chisholm. who started racing only this year. Of the favoured riders, P. Brydon punctured at the beginning and A. A. Paviell spent too much energy bridging gaps caused by the frequent breakaways and was well back in the bunch. Results Of Races In the results, the abbreviations used are Avon (A), Papanui (P), Christchurch (C). Timaru (T). Rangiora (R), Greymouth (G), Westport (W>, and Mairehau (M).
Senior 100 miles: T. J. Tabak (A), 4:42:9, 1: R. J. Hogan (P), 4:58:48, 2: R. D. Mann (P), 4:58:48.1, 3; M. J. Hewson (T), 5:18:45, 4; D. N. Day (P), 3:30:0, 5: C. Leppens (C), 6. Sealed handicap: T„*>ak, scr., 1; Day, 35min. 2; Hogan, Imin, 3; Mann, scr., 4; Hewson, Bmin, 3.
Junior 50 miles: B. G. Stockwell (P). 2:14:36, 1; D. Jones (A). 2:14:36.1, 2: D. B. Hewson (T), 2:14:36.2. 3: B. P. Whitfield (P). 2:20:0. 4: R. G. Hogarth (A), 2:27:20. 5: G. ,1. Day (P), 2:27:21, 6. Sealed handicap: Hewson, Imin, 1; Stockwell, scr., 2; Jones, scr., 3: Whitfield. smin. 4: Hogarth, lOmin, 5.
Novice 15 miles: J. W. Beresford (M), 42:10, 1; B. R. Chisholm (M), 42:11, 2: K. Smith (T). 42:12, 3: R. McDonald (T), 42:12.2, 4: W. Meggitt (T). 42:12.4, 5: R. Archer (R). 42:12.6. 6; L. Vette (R), 42:12.8, 7; B. Stokes (G), 42:13, 8. Sealed handicap: G. Cle«ry <M), 3min, 1; J. Drummond (W), 3min, 2; Chisholm. 2min, 3; Stokes, 2min, 4; G. Ireland (M), 2min, 5.
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Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31168, 19 September 1966, Page 11
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830Senior Cycling Title To T. J. Tabak Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31168, 19 September 1966, Page 11
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