CYCLING

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 March 1922, Page 3

CYCLING

SATURDAY’S ROAD RACE. The weather, although fine on Satur day morning, broke about 1 p.m. am Heavy rain fell during the aiternoou. 'I hii made the conditions anything but pleas, ant for the. riders in the. road race t-. Paroa, ami back, approximately ten miles, held under the auspices of the Greymouth Athletic and Cycling Club. The rain also affected the attendance ot spectators, but a crowd of about 106 persons watched the .start. ’I he limit men, 11. Kitchingham and A. U. Turthill (loOsecs) were .sent away nt three p.m. T. McKay and U. Williams (120 secs.) were the next pair Io leave. McKay was unlucky, a holt in ins handlebars breaking Before lie had covered a dozen vards. However, lie quickly se cured another iiinchiiio and got away after J. Goodall (fiOsecs.) had left. \V. Blackmon (oOsecs) was the next rider, and was followed by the scratch man, D. Wright. When the turning point a! Paroa was reached, Kitchingham was reported about 30 seconds ahead ol the ncare-L mam Turthill. Williams and Goodall we’e close up. and about 30 seconds later came the rest of the field, well bunched, in the following order: Coxtill. Wright, .McKay, and Blackmun. An interested crowd awaited the finish at the Suburban Hotel. Alter several false alarms, a mud-bespattereci rider was seen slowlv approaching, and many were the conjectures as to his identity. Ihe general opinion appeared to be that one of the riders had retired I'tom the race and was slowly returning. However, with a. final spurt Kitchingham (for it, was he) passed the post amidst applause, gaining first place easily. 'lhe next to arrive was the scratch man (Wright), who received a great welcome. Williams was some distance back third, with Coxall and Blackinun close up. Results: — Kitchingham (150 secs) 1 Wright (scr) Williams (120 secs 3 Also startedTurthill 150, McKay 120, Goodall 90, Coxal) 30, ami Blackmun 30. The riding times of the placed nu-n were as follow:— Kikhiiighatr. 29min 40sec; Wright, 27min 51secs; Williams, 30min ldsecs. Wright also secured the trophy for fastest time among the back-markers, and Kitchingham that for the fastest of those in the front division. The road was reported to be in good condition before the rain, but the downpour made the going fairly heavy. Additional interest was given to this, the second race of the series, by the appearance of the veteran, Blackmun, who came back after an absence of seven years. 'Those who remembered the earlier ‘exploits of “Bluer io” on the. track expected him to get his wheel home first, but the task was apparently too inuch,athough his performance in securing filth place- was full of merit. Wright had rnanv supporters, who expected Inm to repeat'his win in the first race. Ihe handicap proved a little 100 much, and he. did splendidlv to secure second place. ie next race' will he awaited with interest.