Front men win

Press, 9 May 1983, Page 25

Front men win

Front markers made the most of their handicaps to win both grades of the Ron Rutherford Motors open novice handicap cycling races on Racecourse Road on Saturday. The events were the first of the road season.

lan Curd convincingly outsprinted a bunch Of seven to win the A grade 27km from Peter Laughton and Carlos Marriott, while Andrew Macbeth’s fastest time win was by a length from Ross Brimer and Wayne Eyre, who deadheated.

Grant Brian led all the way in the B grade 12km, and he was still 34s clear of Clayton Gyde and Brent Higgins, the former outsprinting Higgins after being caught.

Jason Smitn, tne younger of two riders of the same name, had a splendid ride from the break mark, dropping his comarkers from the start, catching and passing all but three riders, and finishing only 8s behind Gyde. But fastest time eluded him,

Mark Crosbie, Paul O’Hagan and Alex Laplanche having a 23s advantage, in that order, at the end.

Abbreviations used in the results are Mairehau (M), Hornby (H) and Woolston (W). A grade 27km.— I. Curd (M. 7min), 45:11, 1; P. Laughton (H, 7min) 2, C. Marriott (M, B%min) 3, Q. Hall (M, 7min) 4, A. Jenson (M, 8% min) 5, S. Hendry (M, 7min), 6, D. Thomas (H, B%min) 7, D. Patterson (M, 4min) 8, J. Sands (M, 4min) 9, G. McMillan (M, 4min) 10. Fastest time: A. Macbeth (M, scr), 40:41, 1; R. Brimer (M, scr) and W. Eyre (W, scr), both 40:41.5, equal 2. B grade 12km.— G. Brian (H, smin), 22:37, 1; C. Gyde (H, 4min) 2, B. Higgins (M, 3min) 3, J. Smith (H, Imin) 4, D. McLaughlan (W, 3min) 5, J. Rastrick (M, 3min) 6, M. Crosbie (H, scr), 19:56, 7 and fastest time; P. O’Hagan (M, scr), 19:56.5, 8 and a fastest time; A. Laplanche (M, scr), 19:57, 9 and 3 fastest time; T. Kett (M, lmin) 10.