ROAD RACING

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 78, 29 September 1924, Page 11

ROAD RACING

TIMARU TO CHRISTCHURCH WON BY B. LE COMPTE. (BI TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) CHRISTCHURCH, 28th Sept. With the roads fast and drying under the riders, and a south-west wind helping them on their journey from Timaru to Christchurch. the «ycle road race was held yesterday under conditions making for fast times. The heavy rain that fell during the night cleared before the start of the race, and, though the sky rsmained overcast, in the morning, th« weather for the greater part was good. The result was:— -' B. Le Compte, Aphburton (40min start), riding time shr SBmin 42sec 1 P. H. Welch, Christchurch (38min), riding time 6hr Omin 23sec 2 P. G. Hack, East Eyreton* (42min) ... 3 A. A. Norwood, Papanui (31min) ... 4 Fastest times registered were:—D. Wright, Reefton (lOmin), shr 48min 59 sec; C. Bell, Christchurch (scr), shr 52 mm 6sec; M. P. Leathern, Christchurch (6min), shr 53min 40sec. Ninety-six riders finished, which is a record for the race. Wright rode a long way on his own, dropping the men he set out with through punctures. Wright was very lucky in coming throughout without a puncture.

The race was inaugurated by the Dunlop Rubber Company in 1899, the winner and the rider doing the fastest time usually visiting Australia^ to take part in the Warnambool-Melbourne race. Since 1913 the race has been run by the. New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union. A feature of the race since 1909 has been the consistent riding of Phil O'Shea (Christchurch), who secured first place in 1909 and 1913, and fastest time for the race in 1911, 1913, 1914 ig2l 1922, arid 1923. O'Shea holds the record for the race, having done the journey in Shr 14min 58sec in 1913, when he secured the dual honour of fastest time and first past the post.