SOUTHBRIDGE ROAD RACE

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 2914, 1 September 1925, Page 7

SOUTHBRIDGE ROAD RACE

CONTESTED BY 71 EIDERS

That the once-disdained sport of cycle racing has a still increasing number of followers, was strikingly proved last Saturday, when in the first local road race this season, conducted.by the Southbridge Athletic Club, 7S riders entered, and a crowd numbering hundreds witnessed the race. Truly, wonders have taken place in the cycling world of late years. Four or five years ago the sport had scarcely wakened from its long spell of oblivion and hope of its restoration to the popular favour of bygo,ae years was forlorn. He that would have predicted at that time that in 1925, 78 cyclists would enter for a country road race, would have been met with open unbelief. The rapidity with which this remarkable rise in favour has taken place is astounding.

.The 78 riders who entered i,n the race last Saturday exceeded by .17 the entries in the South Island Championship race held by the Club a year ago. Of these, only seven failed to start. The race was over a course of 36 miles, three rounds being made. Eight through the racing was very close, and it was difficult to predict, with any confidence, after two-thirds of the jour,ney had been covered, who the winner would be. On the whole, the roads were in good order," the recent rains freeing them from dust. At the starting point at Southbridge and at various places along the route the race was watched by cheering spectators. A forceful measure of practical support is behind the Southbridge Athletic Club, r;ul, thanks to this, it was able to offer a total of £55 in prize money, which proved a great attraction to cyclists from various parts of Canterbury. Falling close to the chief road race of ) the year, the Timaru-Christchurch | event, the Southbridge race is taken ad- \ vantage of r.s a training place by a | great many intending competitors in this ajid other important races. In the C.:st batch of riders to complete No. 1 cL'-.r v,:- j 18 men, some of whom had ten l^-.a-es' start and the others 11 minutes. Their time was 36 minutes 10 seconds. Another bunch / came 43 seconds later, the third bunch • following in seven seconds, the fourth bunch 2min 20see behind, the sixth bunch 45see behind, while the scratch me,n, 11. G. Watson, J. Henderson, C. Bell, A. Leathern and K. Laskey, had gained about 3min on the limit men.

The leaders covered two circuits in 72min 30sec, and there were 23 riders in the first bunch, including W. J. Fidic" (5 mm), A. A. Morwood (smi,n), A. H. Wood (smin) and W. A. Wells (6 mm). Other batches arrived at intervals of SOsec, GOscc, 60sec and 3Gscc. The scratch men were 9min 4sec behind the leaders. The first bunch to' finish the race comprised about. 25 riders, and the order in

which the first 15 to cross the line were placed was as follows: W. J. Fidler (smin), 1.44.3 .. 3 L. F. Gould (9min), 1.48.3 1-5 .. 2 C. J. Sowdon (3min), 1.42.3 2-5 . . 3 C. Austin (4-imin) 1.43.33.3-5 ... 4 M. P. Leathern (3 mm) i.45.3 4-5 5 A. A. Morwood (smin) 1.44.4 .. 0 K. Nankivell (7-imin.), 1.46,34 '.. 7 E. Condon (lOmin), 1.49.4 1-5 .. 8 |W. Coma,!! (3min), 1.42.4 2-5 .. 9 C. Blythe (omin), 1.44.4 3-5 ... .10 [W. A. Mitchell (74min) 1.46.34 4-5 11 |L. J. Scuffcll (44min) ? 1.43.35 .. 12 fC. W. Mills (9min) .. 13 C. E. Christiansen (llmin) .. 14 E.G. Fuller (9mih) .. 15 The winner .sprinted and won by about a length and a half. He covered I the distance in 2min 12sec less than T.

Ellis, who won' the championship last year. C. Bell (scratch) put up fastest time, hia actual riding time being lhr 41min 42secs, 3 l/ssecs -less than last year's time. H. G. Watson (scratch), who was about a couple of lengths behind Bell, took seco,nd fastest time, doing the journey in 1 hr 41min 43sees. The winner, Fidler, also won the late Mr D. McClelland's special prize for the youngest rider in first ten to fi,nisli.

The president, Mr W. J. Walter, and other'members of the North Canterbury Centre of the Athletic and Cycling Union were present. Mr Walter acted as handicapper, starter and timekeeper. Members of the Southbridge Club filled their various posts in perfect harmony.

After the race the ladies of the district entertained the riders and officials to afternoon tea, and the pi'izes were presented. In the evening a well attended dance was held.

The first seven to finish received prizes ranging in value from £20 to 15/-. The prize for fastest time was £6, and for second fastQ&fc time £3. E. Condo,n, who was fastest unplaced from lOmins., won a prize of £2 10s.