Cycling shield to Papanui team

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32958, 3 July 1972, Page 22

Cycling shield to Papanui team

Papanui won the national 25-mile cycling team time-trial in Levin on Saturday to bring the Hope Gibbons Shield back to Christchurch.

Papanui withstood a strong finish by the Wellington club and champion for three suc-

cessive ' years, Port Nicholson-Poneke, to record 56min 18sec—three seconds faster. It was the closest margin in the race yet.

The Papanui coach and manager, Mr W. W. Thorpe, believed that the first two teams—who were more than 2min clear of Counties (Auckland) and Hutt —would have broken the race record but for the blustery head wind and a mile of shingle. Papanui’s time was the third fastest winning time—

the fastest were 55min 26sec by Point Chevalier in 1964 and 55min 49sec by Gisborne in 1967—and the fifth fastest time over all in the race.

B. G. Stockwell and P. D. Brydon, who were again dominant in the Kapiti club “kermesse” — a criteriumtype race—yesterday, were the leaders of the Papanui team. But the other three all gave solid assistance, until P. F. Neale was dropped with less than five miles to ride with stomach cramps. R. K. A. Anderson, who also rode in the event last year, and A. D. Morris are also in the Canterbury track pursuit team with Stockwell and Brydon. 50-MILE RACE

Brydon and Stockwell were prominent in a five-man bunch which left the field behind in the 50-mile, shortblock race yesterday. With about 15 miles to ride, they and K. Cross (Auckland) and a fellow-Olympic Games rider, V. J. Hanaray (Hastings), cleared out and caught E. J. C. Barker (Levin). Barker, a former Southlander and the national junior champion, had got half a minute clear of the field. The five stayed in front, steadily building their lead, and Brydon out-sprinted Barker at the finish. Cross just edged Stockwell out of third place. Neale, at about half-way, and Anderson both punctured, and Morris withdrew near the end when the break could not be caught and hail started falling.