CYCLE ROAD RACE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 August 1926, Page 6

CYCLE ROAD RACE.

WON BY E. G. MANCER

GRIFFIN SECURES FASTEST TIME. The first- cycle road race of the season, conducted by -the Haw-era, Amateur Athletic Club, was held this afternoon. Weather conditions were fair, a. moderate westerly having dried- up the early morning rain, .but the wind, contimiing, -was not in the riders’ favour during the early part of the race, and it was not expected that any record times would be achieved. Tlie a-acei—-a distance of 171 m,i,les —was run over the usual route, via. Normanby and Ok-ai-awa, and home along the Scott and South roads, and, punctually at 3 o’clock*, the limit competitors left the National Bank corner. Thirty-two riders had. entered for the event, and 27 competitors faced the starter. Mr L. I. Marter.

Both the commencement and the finish attracted considerable public attention, and the chances of‘the respective riders were keenly debated during the period that the competitors were away.

The race was conducted by the following officials: Starter, Mr. L. I. Marter; judges, Messrs A. Grant, M. R- Jones, and G. H. Weir; marksmen, Messrs L. Hunt, R.. Henderson, R.. Allen, and A. Palmer; timekeepers, Messrs G. Hostick, H. McCabe, and E. Po-den; track stewards, Messrs C. Shaw, G. Oollins, A. H. Brown, S. Ingliam. As usual, Mr. R. T. Bullock proved of valuable assistance to the club in providing the conveyance for the track stewards.

No time records were broken, but the scratch rider Griffin, who started almost four minutes behind the next competitor, and had no- pace-maker before him, put up. a. great performance considering the adverse conditions, and while lie was hut 16 seconds behind the record for the event, he came within one second of his own fastest time established a year ago. H. Stening broke Griffin’s record later in the season. The official record now stands at 44min 60 sec.

Just before 3.40 o’clock an official posted at the South Boacl corner waved a flag, and a, few seconds later Mancer and Hughes shot into view, within a. yer.v short distance of each other. Mancer kept up his pace to the finishing mark, but Hughes took the last few chains easy after finding himself unable to pass the winner. Taylor came very close behind, while Kelson finished well, within a few seconds. A considerable interval separated the next two riders, G. T. Peters and T. Howell, hut there was an exciting fining burst between the next two, Tippett riding in a few wheel lengths ahead of Kelly. Wallis was ninth and Moore, tenth.

The following are the detailed results : Cup valued at £5 5s and Messrs Hope Gibbons and Co., Ltd., trophy valued at £1 7s 6d ; F. G. IMancer (13min. 15sec.), actual riding time 48min. 43sec 1 Messrs Wnlkley and Cameron’s trophy valued £2 2s and Messrs E. Reynolds and Co., Ltd., trophy valued £1 os : E. Hughes (12min. 30sec.), 48min. 6sec ~ 2 Cycle and Motors Supplies, Ltd trophy valued £2 7s- 6d : H. T. Taylor (lS.niin. 3Csec.), 48min. llsec. ... 3 Messrs Bennett, Ltd., trophy valued £1 15s: R. Kelson (12min. 45sec.), 48min. 31sec. 4 Messrs Teagle, Smith and Son, Ltd., trophy valued £1 10s: G. T. Peters (12min. 30sec.), 49min. 4Dsec. 5 Mr. L. I. Marter’.s trophy valued £1 10s: T. Howell (13min. 30sec.), oOmin. lOsec 6 .Messrs A, G. Healing and Co.’s gold medal for fastest time: C. Griffin (3min. ; scratch man), 45min. 6see. Mr J. Christie’s medal for fastest time registered by a boy under 16 years: E. Hughes. The riding times of the remainder of the placed men is as follows: V. S. Tippett (9min 30sec), 46min 35sec, 7; W. Kelly (Bmin 45see), 45mm 51sec (second fastest time), 8; R. Wallis (llmin 30sec), 49min 55sec, 9; A. G. Moore (12min), 49min 19sec, 10. A particularly unfortunate happening in the race was the fall at the Turuturu store of three' of the eight and three-quarter minute men, Kelly, Button and Rinnhall, wliich lost for these riders quite two minutes. As it was Kelly came in eighth with second fastest time, a. very creditable performance.

On the return of the- course stewards, it was- reported that Griffin, who secured fastest time, had been paced over a .portion of the course by a professional rider. An inquiry was held by the committee, and on- hearing Griffin’s statement that the professional joined him and paced him. for a period during the race without any request at all, it was decided to take no action.

On the declaration of the riding times, the chairman of the committee nresentecl the trophies. He congratulated. Mancer on his meritorious win on his first ride with the club. He also congratulated Griffin, on securing for the second 1 time the fastest time.