Dixon Rewarded In Cycling

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31519, 6 November 1967, Page 20

Dixon Rewarded In Cycling

Desperately unlucky te cramp when In a winning position In last week's Round the Gorges. A. K. Dixon (Papanui) on Saturday was a convincing winner or the Harry Saundercock Mom* orial 100 kilometre* classic at Waikarl.

Dixon made the decisive break from his co-markers, W. J. Spencer (Avon) and D. N Day (Papanui), with 13 miles to go when, poised to jump round the outside, he caught the slipstream of a car flashing by and was away before the others realised it. Spencer, who is not usually the hardest of workers, chased for three or four miles, but could make no impression. B. G. Stockwell (Papanui), as expected, took fastest time from his clubmates. W. G. Kendall and W W. Thorpe, and the scratch bunch's time was little over lAmin outside the 1965 re cord set by S. J. Stephen. There were two heroes in the race. Dixon, virtually a frontmarker, had 13 miles to cover on his own after a tough 50, and always with the thoughts tn his mind that he had a chasing bunch, and that he had cramped in the Gorges classic last week.

The other was the strong Avon junior, G. S. McLeod, who dropped his bunch with 15 miles to go in a lone effort to catch the front. McLeod's was a mighty effort, but although he caught quickly in the early part of his breakaway, he could make no impression on Dixon in the last six miles. Dixon’s bunch was alwavs prominently placed, and at the half way stage had caught 13 of the 19mm conceded to the mark in front The bunch had also added nearly a minute to the smin start it had on the 26m!n bunch, and had lost little time to the well favoured 20min group The scratch bunch of three, meanwhile, was holding its own well with the break markers, who had broken up considerably. and although its half-way

advantage of Imin had dropped to lOsec with one of the four laps to go. always appeared to have fastest time in hand Dixon did net pass the frontmarker. W. J H. Wood 4 Avon), until well into the final lap, when he had broken away, but had little trouble gathering him in when he gave chase Ironically for one who had made little contribution in the early stages, Spencer entered a orotest after the race at the method with which Dixon dropped him. However, it was turned down by the referee, and a subsequent appeal rejected by the appeal commftee after hearing several other riders and race followers. Abbreviations used *n the results are: Pananu* <P). Avon (A.). Nelson (N ). Ttmaru (T ). Harry Saundercock Memorial. 100 Kilometres.—A. K. Dixon (P.. 31m!n) 1. G. S. McLeod (A.. 16min) 2. R. J. Brvant (N., °omln) 3. W .1 Snenrer 31min) 4. P. H. C. Redford (P , tflmin) 5, P R Wlldermoth (4 . I6min) 6. D. A. Swanston •? , 7min) 7. .T. I. Rvder (T., 1?m 4 n) A A. Paviell (A., 12min) 9. W. J. H. Wood (A.. SOmin) 10. Time, 2:53:51, Fastest T me —B. G. Stockwell 'P.. scr), 2:33:5. 1: W. G. Kendall (P., scr). 2:33:6 2: W. W. Thorpe (P., scr), 2:33:8. 3.