CYCLING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 24 September 1928, Page 9

CYCLING.

SATURDAY’S ROAD RACES. N ORTH ISLAND CHAMPIONSHIP. (By Telegraph—Press -Association.) AUCKLAND, Sept. 23. ■Heavy rain and strong wind' made conditions decidedly unpleasant for the North Island cycle road race championship from Hamilton to Auckland ■yesterday. _ ~ . The event was won by In. Bellringer, of New Plymouth, who covered the 90 miles stretch in four hours 45 minutes, 30 seconds, riding a, remarkable race. The winner made his victory the more noteworthy by reason of the fact that he was never far behind the leading bunches at any stage although he crossed the starting line in Hamilton 23 minutes after the despatch of the first contestant. „ Second, and third places were filled by I>. Hardy (4hr. 42m1n.) abd L. Cange n (4hr. 424 min.) respectively.' These two competitors also 1 represented Taranaki. , „ The well-known .'Gisborne cyclist, S. Gooch, secured the blue riband for fastest time, covering the journey in four hours 39 minutes. He finished istronialy with ithe first batch of riders. J. Linclop was only 14 seconds behind him. PALMERSTON NORTH TO' WELLINGTON. RACE WON BY SOUTH ISLANDER, WELLINGTON, Sept. 22. T.he cycle road race from Palmerston North to Wellington resulted: — A. R. Mutton (Christchurch), 35 miin. 1 C. Rhodes. (Christchurch), 35min. . . 2 T. O. Farmer (•Christchurch), 16min. 3 N. Collins (Palmerston Noirth 4 L. G. Lukey (Christ church) -scr 5 Fastest times: Lukey (Christchurch) 6hr. 22min. 44 ff-Gsec; M. Gane (Wellington) 6hr. 33miin. 30,sec; Farmer-, 6hr 38min. 44sec. “The roads were better, but the head winds all the way made the race far lvarded than last year.” said Lukey after the. contest, and tins about sums up the conditions experienced by the riders, It was) a trying race and. a large number of the starters failed to see out the distance. Grose, on scratch with Lukey had the misfortune to, have a puncture, and as he was feeling the strain-of the contest'he retired. Mutton, who has been riding about four years, finished at the Basin-Re-serve several minutes before Rhodes, whom li© assisted to mend a puncture at Paraparaumu.

SOUTH ISLAND CHAMPIONSHIP

, CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 22. The thirty-six-mile South Island championship resulted: —A. R. Hawke, 1 • W. K. We,ir. 2; W. W. Crofts. 3. A. A Morwood got fastest timelhr. 41min. 30sec.—and the championship.