Stockwell rides double

Press, 23 May 1977, Page 3

Stockwell rides double

Blair Stockwell achieved ?, fine Canterbury cycling double during the week-end when he won the Sid Poore Memorial and the Frank Grose Memorial races on successive days. The rejected Montreal Olympics nominee had the rare distinction of both having the fastest time and being first across the line in each of the races.

The Frank Grose race, which centred around the Halswell Downs Domain circuit, was held over 80km yesterday and all six place- . getters figured in the final sprint. Stockwell, Paul Jesson and Bryan Stenning — the three scratch men — caught the leader, Waynj Kirk, with about skm to go. Kirk (off 21 min) and Terry’ Gyde had ridden most of the way on their own at the front but Gyde punctured with about 38km left

i Jesson, the 1976 New Zea-1 'land “road cyclist of the’ lyear,” was a disappointing’’ • fifth in the race on Saturday), bur yesterday he gave a' much improved performance ; ’ and finished only a short, distance behind Stockwell ini second place. He has not had as much’ ’training lately as he would; .like and told Canterbury eye-1 [ling officials that he had gone’ itoo hard early and “had noth-: |ing left at the finish” on (Saturday. i After finishing second in, [the first race when he was off. 2jmin, the Papanui rider, Bryan Stenning, went back to scratch for the Frank Grose ;and he again rode well with only Stockwell and Jesson crossing the line ahead of j him. Chris Hogan, another rider j on scratch, had the second i fastest time in the Sid Poore Memorial but unfortunatel” did not complete yesterday’s) race. ___ J

' In the 100 km race on Sat-; lurday — run from Yaldhurst to Coalgate and back — Jesson failed to get away in I the break with Hogan, StockIwell and Stenning. - At one stage Hogan and ’ i Stenning had established; quite a lead on Stockwell but he caught this pair about: ,15km from the finish and was (far too good for them in the; final sprint to the line. The 11 scratchings in this) race made some marks suffer ’ land the field soon formed itself into four major groups. i Results were:— Sid Poore Memorial.—lookm: B. ‘Stockwell (Papanui, scr). 2:10:41.• 1 (also fastest time); B. Stenning; (Papanui. 2|min), 2:13:11.5, 2: C.: Hogan (Papanui. scr . 2:10:47. 3 (second fastest): J. Tabak (Hornby aimim, 2:17:44. 4; P Jesson Woolsion, scr.i, 2:12:14.2. 5; P. Brunton (Hornby. 2£min), 2:14:44.3, 6. Frank Grose Memorial,—Bokm:. j Stockwell (scr.), 2:00:57, 1 (fast-: • est time); Jesson (scr.), 2:00:57.2 i * (second fastest): Stenning <scr.).‘ : 2:00:57.4, 3 (third fastest-; T. ■ Gyde (Hornby, 21min), 2:21:57.6.1 ■4; R. Kennedy fKaiapoi, i2nvn), 2:12:57.8, 3; W. Kirk (Hornby,: '2lmin). 2:21:58.8, 8. i