WIN FOR K. WILSON

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 99, 24 October 1938, Page 6

WIN FOR K. WILSON

LONG CYCLE RACE

BROWN'S FASTEST TIME

PALMERSTON TO PETONE

Riding particularly well from the foot of the Paekakariki Hill onwards, K. Wilson, a Wellington performer, won the annual cycle road race from Palmerston North to Wellington most convincingly last Saturday. He took the lead approaching the ascent of the Haywards Hill, and held a substantial advantage over the second man when he entered the Petone Oval.

Wilson, who rode from the 19-min-ute mark, is well known as a track rider locally, but he had never before competed in the Palmerston event. He is trained by Mr. Arthur Maude, who has been the mentor of a number of other successful riders. It was a tribute to his coach that Wilson showed few outward signs, when he climbed from his machine, that he had just completed a strenuous road race.

Wellington riders were rather more successful than usual in this year's contest, for second and third places, filled by C. Sparkes (28min) and E. R. Robinson (25min), were captured by local riders. Robinson's performance was especially noteworthy for the fact that he has an artificial lower "right arm.

F. Manning (Palmerston North), 31 mm, was fourth, and another Wellington rider, R. Evans, 31min, a veteran of the road, was fifth. ■

. Fastest times were registered by J. Brown (Auckland), R. Dutton (Wellington), and E. I. Danielson (Wahganui);

Brown' and Dutton, incidentally made first and second fastest times in last year's race, and this performance was repeated in the New Zealand 100 miles road championship recently. Brown was one of New Zealand's cycling representatives at the British Empire' Games held in Sydney earlier this year, when he was narrowly defeated for first place in the 100 kilometres road race.

There were 68 starters, of whom 43 finished, including the 60-year-old veteran, P. Young. DIFFERENT COURSE; The latter stages of the course differed from that of former years because of the road reconstruction work in the Ngahauranga Gorge. When the riders reached Pahautanui they turned to the left, following the road through Judgeford to Haywards, and thence via the Western Hutt Road along the banks of the Hutt River to Lower Hutt and Petone to the finishing point on the Petone Oval.

Although the deviation reduced the usual distance of approximately 100 miles to som* extent, any advantage gained in this respect was removed partly, if not fully, by the tortuous nature of parts of the route through to Haywards, patches of mud and shingle in turn, and the fairly solid rise to the top of the hilL Instead of appearing singly and in twos and threes, a bunch of about ten riders were the first through Paekakariki, at 1.25 p.m. The leaders of the bunch were C. Sparkes and C. V. Aldridge (Wellington), and those with them included E. R. Robinson, R. Evans, A. Cook, H. Sparkes, F. Manning, W. Crocker, and G. Broadbent. About 40 yards behind them were A. Eade and J. Croskery. FIRST TO TOP. C. Sparkes broke away going up the Paekakariki Hill, and was first to the top, at 1.37 p.m., and next, some 40yds behind, came X.. Wilson, who had made splendid progress on the hilL A further 100 yds back was R. Evans and another 50yds behind him again were Manning, E. D. Taylor (Christchurch), who, like Wilson, had made up much ground on the hill, Broadbent, J. M. Vost, H. Sparkes, Robinson, Cook, N. Gestro, and S. M. Hunt.

The riders had experienced rain showers, and at the top of the Paekakariki Hill there was a thick mist, reducing visibility to about 100 yds. However, they made light of the conditions, and travelled down from the top of the hill and on to the, flat'going to Pahautanui at a high speed.

C. Sparkes and K. Wilson were still showing the way. Along the road through Judgeford they had a lead of 100 yds from R. Evans. A mile behind Evans „ was Taylor, who had taken the lead from a bunch comprising Robinson, Manning, and Broadbent, and which arrived at Pahautanui at 2 p.m. At that time the weather and conditions generally were improved. For a time after leaving Pahautanui and turning into Judgeford the road surface was quite fair, though the approaches to bridges required careful negotiation. Further on, however, patches of mud and shingle were met with. TAKES THE LEAD, Wilson left Sparkes and was first to the top of the Haywards Hill, at 2.17 p.m. Following him 600 yards away was Taylor, who appeared to have strong claims on either first or second place honours. Fifty yards behind Taylor came Sparkes and Broadbent.

Although so far Taylor seemed to have triumphed over the supposedly bad luck associated with No. 13, the number he carried on his back, misfortune now overtook him.

As he was careering down the incline from the top of the hill he punctured and was compelled to dismount and make good the damage.

After doing so he carried on, but his chances of success, which had appeared so bright, had now disappeared, and the best he was able to do was to finish twelfth.

Reverting to Wilson, he passed the Belmont Station on the Western Hutt Road at 2.30 p.m. and tne Lower Hutt Station at 2.35 p.m., heralded by a traffic officer on his motor-cycle. He was well clear of Sparkes and, finished at the Petone Oval at 2.45 p.m.

There was a keen contest between Robinson, Manning, and Evans, who entered the Oval together and finished in that order.

There were five scratch riders, the only scratching being the South Island champion, G. R. Shilton (Christchurch). G. Amey (Wellington) slipped his chain after leaving Foxton and was about 50 yards behind his co-markers for about four miles and then gradually dropped back. O. Disley (Wellington), the North Island champion, j punctured at about Waikanae. BROWN DRAWS AWAI. J. Brown and R. Dutton dropped A. J. Lancaster (Christchurch) on the Paekakariki Hill and Brown drew away from Dutton near the Haywards summit. TRAFFIC JAM. | Unfortunately for some riders, a number of motor-cars got4nto a jam at the top of the Paekakariki Hill and a little time was lost because of the necessity of these riders to slow down and thread their way between the cars. The Port Nicholson Shield for the best team performance was won by the Poneke Club. THE PLACINGS. j I The first 20 riders to finish, together]

with their handicaps and actual times, were as follows:— K. Wilson (Wellington), 19min, 4hr 32min 1 C. Sparkes • (Wellington), 28niin, 4hr 44min 52sec 2 E. R. Robinson (Wellington), 25min, i 4hr 43min llsec .-..». 3 F. Manning (Palmerston North), 31 mm, 4hr 49min 11 l-ssec, 4; R. Evans (Wellington), 31min, 4hr 40min 11 2-ssec, 5; S. M. Hunt (Napier), 16min, 4hr 35min 4sec, 6; N. Gestro (Wellington), 22min, 4hr 42min 2sec, 7; W. Crocker (Auckland), 28min, 4hr 51min 12sec, 8; D. Evans (Wellington), 22min, 4hr 45min 12 l-ssec, -9; E. I. Danielson (Wanganui), 6min, 4hr 30min 32sec, 10; F. Wilson (Dannevirke), 12min, 4hr 36min 32 l-ssec, 11; E. D. Taylor <Christchurch), 12min, 4hr 36min 37sec, 12; N. McCardle (Feilding), 19min, 4hr 43min 3^ l-ssec, 13; J. Brown (Auckland), scr, 4hr 26min 7sec, 14; R. Whithley (Auckland), 16min, 4hr 42min 36sec, 15; A. Eade (Feilding), 31min, 4hr 57min 36 l-ssec, 16; R. W. Price (Nelson), 22min, 4hr 48min 48sec, 17; R. Dutton (Wellington), scr, 4hr 28min 27sec, 18; A. Cook (Wellington), 31min, 4hr 59min 59sec, 19; E. S. Redward (Dannevirke), 28min, 4hr 58min 14sec, 20. W. R. Walker (Auckland), 25min, was 21st; J. M. Vost (Auckland), 28min, 22nd; and D. Knight (Auckland), 12miri, 23rd. FASTEST TIMES. J. Brown (Auckland), 4hr 26min 7sec ....... 1 R. Dutton (Wellington), 4hr 28min 27sec 2 E. I. Danielson (Wanganui),, 4hr 30min 32sec 3