HOGAN FASTEST IN FINAL RACE

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31985, 12 May 1969, Page 14

HOGAN FASTEST IN FINAL RACE

R. J. Hogan finished his career for the Papanui Club until after the 1972 Olympic Games on a memorable note when he just edged out his younger rival, B. G. Stockwell (Papanui), for fastest time at the Hornby - Christchurch Amateur Cycling Club’s 40-mile Round the Harbour open handicap race on Saturday.

Hogan’s time of lhr44mln 36.55ec was half a second ahead of his scratch partner, Stockwell. Later this week Hogan will move to Auckland where he will be based until after the next Olympic Games.

Grand as Hogan’s final effort was, the hero of the race was 18-year-old, R. Saunders (Avon). Riding in only the fourth race of his first season, Saunders displayed admirable strength and stamina over the difficult terrain to win by more than 7min from K. J. Grogan (Papanui). Riding alone for a large part of the race G. R. Sword (Avon) and I. D. McLean (Papanui) were third and fourth fastest respectively, and H. R. Bush (Papanui) teamed well later with Hogan and Stockwell, for filth fastest time, after his Smin bunch had disintegrated. Sword, off the break mark of 3mln, achieved Ihr 45min 35sec and McLean was Imln 25sec slower.

The slight, ginger-haired R. Floyd (Papanui), was a good third. B. Day (Papanui) was fourth and the 33-year-old Canterbury centre official, D. Johnston, was a courageous fifth.

After Saunders, off the front mark of 50min, dropped thd last of his bunch, K. Paga (Avon), at Tai Tapu when the! latter punctured, he was never sighted again. At Teddington for the first time Saunders hadj a lead of well over 7min and he was able to maintain it to the finish.

The Canterbury road rep-; resentative at Invercargill last year, G. B. Ireland (Papanui),.. appeared almost certain to Win* off his very generous mark off 25min, but he finally decided not to race. This left the result wide open and Saunders: surprised everyone with his mature, lone ride. There was generally very little action in the bunches until the climb up Gebbie’s Pass, where several breaks were successfully made. B. M. Wildermoth (Avon) and W. W. Thorpe (Papanui) split the lOmin bunch and McLean, and Sword with P. A. Skilling., split the 6min and break bunches. Sword kept the pressure on at the next hill past Teddlngton and Skilling was unable to hang on. Day and Floyd strived to catch Saunders, but were unable to. At Diamond Harbour his lead looked impregnable and so it proved. Grogan worked well over the latter stages to slip Cast Day, Floyd and Johnston ut he was unable to make much impression on Saunders. At Diamond Harbour, Sword was up 50sec on Hogan and Stockwell but, probably because he rode on his own for most of the journey, he was unable to beat them for fastest time at the finish. Hogan and Stockwell finally cut Saunders initial advantage in half. Abbreviations used in the following results are:—P.. Papanui; A., Avon; H.C.. Hornby-Christchurch.

Round The Harbour (40-mile) Race.—R. Saunders (A., 50min) 1, K. J. Grogan (P., 34min) 2. R. Floyd (P., 41min) 3, B. Day (P., 41min) 4. D. Johnston (P., 41min) 5, J. van der Put (A., 28min) 6, R. Kennedy (A., 28min) 7, D. Clephane (H.C.), 34min) 8, N. J. S. Smith (P., 20min) 9, G. V. Neale (P., 22min) 10.

Fastest Times.—R. J. Hogan (P., scr.), 1:44:30.5, 1; B. G. Stockwell (P.» scr.), 1:44:37, 2; G. R. Sword (A., 3min), 1:45:35. 3; I. D. McLean (P., Cmin), 1:47:0, 4; H. R. Bush (P., 6min), 11:50:38, 5.