Papanui cyclists set record

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33942, 8 September 1975, Page 15

Papanui cyclists set record

(By

RAY CAIRNS)

Papanui’s chances of winning the national Hope Gibbons Shield for the fourth time—and for the third time since 1972 — are bright indeed.

On the standard course for the 40km cycling team time trial, from Rangiora to Balcaim and return, on Saturday, Papanui A established a course record of 54min isec. It is almost certainly also the fastest time on any" course in the province. On the same course, previous Papanui teams —both including Blair Stockwell—did 54min 57sec (1972) and 54min 50sec a year later. For a moment or two, it even seemed the squad would be down in the 53min bracket.

The team includes two veterans of teams racing, Stockwell and Alan Hood, the steady Chris Hogan and Jeff Campbell, and a junior, Kevin Basher. Perhaps the best evidence of its ability, in what were fairly good conditions. was its finishing 10km time of 12min 35sec. This came after earlier quarters of 13min 45sec, 14miu 35sec (over the hardest leg, and into the breeze) and 13min ssec. To finish so well after such a solid earlier pace is heartening and the next best. Papanui B and Timaru, were two and a half to three mlnutei behind.

The Papanui B team did look likely to pose a decent challenge, but it lost Dale Hollows in the first quarter, and had a job to stave off the consistent Timaru team.

One of the best efforts was from the Papanui juniors, who won the Grant Cup unopposed, but it was no hollow victory. Even without Basher, in the senior A team, Toni Horne (in the B team) and Frank Schaapveld, it did 58min 31sec, a course record for a junior squad. Like the club’s senior team, the juniors finished intact — great credit to all of them and not least Mark Fortune, the youngest and least experienced, called in to replace Schaapveld. Results:—

Papanui A (B. G. Stockwell, A. J. Hood, C. M. Hogan, K. P. Basher, J. R. Campbell), 54:01, 1; Papanui B (B. W. Stenning, T>. B. Hewson, M. W. Litolff. T. R. Horne, D. Hollows:, 56:34, 2: Timaru A (R. A. Campbell, G? W. Howes. G. McD. Howes, W. E. Meggitt. W. Taylor), 56:54, 3 Papanui juniors (J. A. Sampson K. W. Reid, M. Fortune, M. P J. Horne, C. D. Hawtin). 58:31. •

I and junior winner: Woolston Avon (P. A. Jesson. P. M. Lewis i R. W. Fulton, G. E. McLeod, D I J. Savage), 58:56, 5. Handicap: Timaru A. 6min ‘ 50:54, 1; Papanui juniors, 7min &6U, 1